


Ribbon in the Sky

by ladyofshalott19



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Drama, F/M, Mystery, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:48:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 129,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2527826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofshalott19/pseuds/ladyofshalott19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nearly ten years have passed since Sarah defeated the Labyrinth. But now, she returns to the Underground at the behest of the Seelie King. She discovers, yet again, that things are not what they seem, even Goblin Kings.<br/>S&J because of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

 

In a place nearly forgotten by humans was an enchanted land inhabited by magical creatures great and small. This enchanted land is ruled by the powerful and magical beings known to humans as the Fae. The Fae divide themselves into two powerful Courts: Seelie and Unseelie. Although the Fae rule both Courts, many creatures reside within the boundaries of the Seelie Court including pixies, dwarves, and brownies. The Faerie Courts are the chief social structures of Fae society. Each court is ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The Seelie Court is believed to be more benevolent toward humans and is known to only attack others who have slighted them. Being that they are Fae, regardless of the Court they belong to, they are prone to mischief despite their sympathetic reputation. The most common time of day to see them in the human world is sunrise and sunset. The malicious and more  _malevolent_ creatures, including imps, draugrs, and the dark faes, reside in the Unseelie Court. The slaugh, a group of Unseelie that cross the human plane at night, are known to mentally or physically assault travelers and are considered the most fearsome in the Court. Those associated with the Unseelie Court are said to attack without provocation and, some believe, just for the joy of tormenting others.

There are, of course, those who swear no allegiance to any Court, they are known as Solitaries. Many Solitaries have been banished from their homes or kingdoms for a variety of reasons. Others simply refuse to be a part of either Court or chose a life of exile. Not many regret their decision of being essentially court-less when they settle in the kingdom of the Solitaries. Although the Seelie Courts view the Solitaries as untrustworthy and potentially dangerous, the Solitaries are more likely to be neutral towards both Courts. In the past, living a life as a Solitary was hard and brutish in some respects, lacking the societal protection that comes with being a member of the Courts. However, over two millenniums ago, a kingdom arose that loosely united the Solitaries. Headed by a monarch, presently ruled by the King of the Goblins, a Solitary may seek out permanent refuge in the kingdom, building a new life for itself. Since they can more freely find ways of interacting with other creatures, Solitaries are often intermediaries for the fae and human worlds. Because of this special connection to humans, the Solitaries and their kingdom are allowed their peaceful neutrality with the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.

Currently, the Seelie Court is ruled by the great Fae King and Queen, Oberon and Titania. Both monarchs are descended from a long lineage of Seelie nobility. Even though the Court contains a multitude of smaller kingdoms (Elves, Dwarfs, Pixies, Centaurs, and Trolls), no one, nobility or otherwise, would dare go against the King and his Queen. King Oberon is known as a harsh, short-tempered, jealous, yet lecherous Fae. Rumors were constant around the Court regarding whether a certain Duke or Baroness was the illegitimate sire of the King. Such rumors were rarely said out loud if one would like to keep his head or not call the palace dungeon their permanent residence. Most wives would garner some sympathy from being bonded to such a husband. Most wives were not Titania. No queen, even the Queen of the Faes, would risk her life and reputation on extramarital affairs. Unfortunately for everyone, Titania had a habit of unleashing her unhappiness on those around her. Anyone who dared look her in the eyes might find his or her face being magically grounded into the floor. If one forgot to address Titania by her proper title, one might spend some time in the castle dungeons. Why would Seelie Court subjects tolerate such behavior?

When it comes to politics and ruling, not all rumors are bad rumors, and the public will tolerate many things as long as they feel protected by their government. All nobility, whether minor like the Fae king of the Land of the Dwarves or the High King and Queen themselves, are considered immensely powerful over the regular denizen. But Oberon is widely believed to be the most powerful, and that is why he could hold such power over other magical creatures. There is only one way to prove whether or not this was true, and no one was foolish to attempt a coup. Another way to prevent an uprising among the citizenry is basic: keep them happy. Since most of the Seelie Court never cross paths with the Seelie King and Queen, most do not care about their actions. The Seelie Court has been enormously prosperous for millenniums, even prior to the reign of Oberon. The occasional war could not deter the Court from losing its allegiance to Oberon and his consort- no matter how  _eccentric_  the couple was rumored to be.

The monarch in the Seelie Court that many occasionally wondered about was the only legitimate issue between Oberon and Titania. The progeny was kept away from nearly everyone, even the King and Queen- who usually found parenting to be a burden. The young monarch was privately tutored and ushered around by Muiriol, a middle aged ruddy woman from the human land of Éire. Muiriol treated the child like her own- making sure the child was sheltered from her parents' reprehensible actions.

Soon after the birth of the child, the Court was plagued with rumors of another great war between the Seelies and the Unseelies. The reasons behind the war rumors were numerous. Many believed that the present King of the Unseelies, Lochlan, had allowed his slaughs to run loose in the Seelie Kingdoms as well as in the human world, causing the deaths of many innocent creatures. Others postulated that the tenuous trade agreements that have been ongoing between the Seelies and Unseelies for the past century had crumbled, and war was an inevitable consequence. The more cynical thought that this was a power grab (either by Oberon, Lochlan, or both), and the Kings were using the prejudices that each Court had toward the other to propel their lands toward war to gain more land or, if possible, rid the world of the other. But, only a fool would voice these concerns out loud. As the rumors escalated, so did the raising of both Courts armies. The Solitary Kingdom, being neutral yet industrious, exported its precious metals to both Courts, caring not for ridiculous squabbles but also not wanting to waste the opportunity to further its own interest, as Solitaries are inclined to do.

Unfortunately for the Seelie King and Queen, many of the rumors of war involved an attempt to kidnap or murder their only heir. Although they are not attentive or loving parents, the King and Queen were not going to let their only legacy disappear. Not willing to take the chance that the rumors were groundless, the King approached his advisor and ordered that he find a way to protect the child until tensions cool between the kingdoms. The advisor found only one way to protect the child: the child would be made human and to live in the human world with no memories of this world. So, the king made it so and sent his only child to live in the human world until the time to be summoned back occurred.


	2. Chapter 2

 I would rather be alone than watch you spinning that wheel for me

* * *

_Oompf._ “Ugh. Could you help me?”

“No.”

“Seriously, Sarah, these things are heavy.”

“And? It’s your stuff. Carry it out yourself. And, hurry up. I canceled two sessions so you could get this done. I’m not canceling another,” Sarah said while running her hands through her long, wavy brown hair.

Having a ( _now ex)_ boyfriend of two and a half years move out while she was forced to be in her once shared apartment is not the most ideal way Sarah Williams imagined spend her afternoon, but there she was: passively watching her ex move his boxes out as she sat on her couch, drinking tea, double-checking her lesson plans, and avoiding making eye contact at all cost. Pretending things are not actually happening may not be an effective way to go through life, but right then, Sarah believed this approach to be the best.

 _Might as well be as comfortable as possible_ , she thought.

A wise person once said that breaking up is hard to do. While that sentiment may always be true, ending a relationship is a little easier when one catches her once beloved partner tongue wrestling with a woman who is not her. Funny, how Sarah would catch Dylan in such a predicament. Sarah could never be accused as the stalking, untrustworthy girlfriend. But when a girls’ night out turns into a discovery of a betrayal of trust and love, the “breaking up” part of the relationship might actually have been easier.

“This would go a lot faster if you would help,” Dylan Pearson gritted out as he moved yet another box to the front door.

“First, I just bought these jeans and shirt. I don’t want to get them dirty. Second, maybe you should have asked some of your friends to help you since you visited them almost every night. Oh, wait,” Sarah said in feigned ignorance while still avoiding eye contact. “There were no friends. It was Rachel. You should have her help move your stuff out while I finish reading,” she wryly added, while her green eyes flashed with mirth.

“As if you would allow her to step foot in here,” Dylan rasped out, dropping a large box near the front door.

“If it meant getting your crap out of here faster,” she said, not even looking up from her piano notebook, “then, yes, I would like her over here. It’s been two months, Dylan. The fact that I still kept your things here and didn’t throw them in the garbage is a credit to my parents.” Finally looking up from her book, she said, “you should send them a thank you card about how you don’t have to buy new action figures.”

Her remarks caused nothing more than an eye roll from Dylan, and the room returned to its awkward silence that Sarah wished would last until he was gone forever.

Two cups of tea and three tedious hours later, Sarah looked up from her lesson plans to notice that all the boxes that had littered the front of the apartment were now gone, and all that was left was her ex, standing on the outside of the threshold of the apartment, keys in hand, shifting his feet as though trying to delay the inevitable.

_You know you brought this on yourself, right?_

Letting out a heavy sigh to prevent herself from saying something too terse, she stood up and walked toward Dylan, hand outstretched to receive her house keys.

“So… are you going to give me my keys or am I going to have to call management?” she questioned, looking him straight in the eyes

“Look, Sarah. I’m sorry that it had to end this way. But, I just wanted to say that it was fun, you know, what we had for the past few years,” he mostly mumbled toward the ground.

And the walls.

And even the windows.

Everywhere but at Sarah’s face, a fact that she found most amusing. She summoned up that bothersome teenager who loved to act out every mundane detail of life in order to keep her face sober rather than convey sheer enjoyment by the weird theatrics that Dylan decided to put himself through.

Sarah thought of what to say in response: _I could be all maudlin and tell him “we just weren’t meant to be” or “Good luck in your next journey in life.” Nope,_ she thought, _no one has time for that nonsense._

She grabbed the keys from Dylan, coolly shrugged her shoulders, and let out a bored, “Eh.” She shut the door in his face, engaged the locks, and went to her lesson plan.

Honestly, she just had better things to do. And he was being SO slow. It is amazing how easily a person can get over an ex, even a cheating ex, when you are forced to stare at his crap for two months. But here she was: no tears, no staring blankly at the ceiling, and no thoughts of what could have been. That performance was two months ago and if Dylan wanted to see it, he should have been there. But he wasn’t and now he isn’t there at all.

“Hmmm…” she thought out loud. “Look at all this space I have. I could buy more yoga gear.” _And then not use it_ , her traitorous mind told her. Always a buzzkill.

Living in downtown Seattle was not where Sarah Williams thought her life would go, but that’s how it goes when your expectations run up against reality.

Shortly after her, what her parents would call, “abrupt about-face” when she was 16, Sarah decided to quit her acting and threw herself into her studies and, for an extra-curricular activity, picked up piano. Surprising herself and all the adults around her, she had been a natural. No one knew why she was able to play the piano with such ease and professionalism with no previous lessons. But as people who say weird things say: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

A scholarship from Julliard was the best thing to happen to18 year old Sarah and also to her 47 year old father. For a financially aware, overly concerned parent, everything was perfect: no need to worry about expensive tuition fees, his only daughter was only an hour and a half away, and was no tuition fees mentioned? At twenty-two, Sarah graduated from Julliard with a Bachelor of Music in Piano (yes, it’s a real thing, she would tell her high school friends) and immediately left the Big Apple. It is not as though she hated her time in Manhattan, but some people are not meant to live there forever. Sometimes, people just feel the need to move. Much to the chagrin of her father, she moved clear across the country to the State of Washington. Rain never bothered Sarah much anyway…not, really. 

Obtaining a job at a Seattle private high school as a music teacher was surprisingly easy for a Julliard graduate. Things were going well the first day she worked there, or so she thought, especially since she had met Dylan the first day the teachers returned to school before the students. He’d been (and still was) one of the Mathematics teachers. To Sarah, he’d seemed sweet, nice, and considerate. One has to be to teach a subject like Maths high school kids, right? Sarah may have some issues with reading people. Don’t worry; she’s working on it. 

Unfortunately, teaching a few hundred students a day was not peaceful. Shortly after working at the school, she decided to privately tutor a few students after school for extra cash. Nevertheless, normal school course planning and private tutoring were not working out. She felt overwhelmed doing both, and, to be honest, that many kids was irritating. Bailing on her school job a year after being hired, Sarah was able to set up private piano tutoring classes in her spacious apartment. Apparently, her name (and degree recognition) spread quickly, and parent after overambitious parent dragged their electronic loving child to her in hopes that she trained the next Bach.

Speaking of the next Bach, Sarah noticed the clock read 6:21pm. _Dammit. Forty-nine minutes until the prized terror and his criminally oblivious mother arrive. I might need a drink._

Walking past her bookshelf to grab her piano books for her upcoming lesson, Sarah’s eyes caught the worn red binding that she stowed away in the corner of her shelf. Dylan never appreciated fantasy. Actually, he never really appreciated reading at all. _Why was I with him again?_

Grabbing the book, she sat on her decorative ottoman against the wall, slowly flipping through the pages. She was not reading the book and did not even want to. Turning page after page caused her to relive her time in the Labyrinth like an old timey motion picture. Sarah never forgot her time in the Underground. How could she? A sixteen year old making a selfish wish that caused her to go up against a powerful king and his kingdom to win back her now beloved brother. That is not something that happens every day.

She also never forgot her friends: the valiant knight and his steed, the orange, loveable, giant beast, and the cowardly, but friend-to-the-end dwarf. Sarah tried for years to contact them through the vanity mirror in her room. She even tried mirrors in cars, dressing rooms, and reflective glass on corporate buildings. Her step-mother and brother had been starting to give her funny looks. Much to her step-mother’s incredulity, Sarah insisted her parents keep her vanity in the attic. She even went so far as to look for owls in the daylight and goblin shadows in the corners. Anything to confirm that what she experienced was not a dream, that she was not going crazy. But even as the years of silence from this magical world began to drone on, she decided that regardless of the lack of evidence of its existence, she was convinced that it was real. It was her secret and hers alone.

Sarah also never forgot the bewildering Goblin King, either. Who could, really? The hair alone would be imprinted on anyone who dared laid eyes on it. There was something enigmatic about the king of the goblins. Of course, only thirteen hours to solve a giant maze does not give someone enough time to analyze another person’s- erm, magical creature’s- personality. But of all the thoughts and feelings that Sarah experienced while running the maze, the feeling of forgetting was the most prominent. Never was it stronger than when she was dropped in the trash heap. Nevertheless, she always felt like something was amiss. Why was she hassled with that thought throughout her trek, and why was it most pronounced when the Goblin King was around? Though she had tried to figure out what caused that feeling, she’d yet to find out what it was, even though that subtle feeling had yet to go away.

Once and only once, she thought about explicitly calling for the Goblin King so he would explain why she no longer had access to her friends, to explain her constant feeling of forgetfulness. She’d been in college, and she may have still had those demanding teenage traits back then. _He has to come when called,_ she thought back then. _Right? That’s how it must work._ But she decided against it. Sarah had quickly analyzed her Labyrinth experience once she returned home. All of it was her fault. It truly was. Well, maybe not the near miss with the Bog of Stench, that hadn’t been nice at all. However, she learned her lesson. But that doesn’t mean the Goblin King felt the same. She had no idea who he really was. If she summoned him back into her life, what would happen then? Would they come to some sort of an adult understanding or would he haunt her days forever? He did have magic, and she did not. If a fight broke out, it would not be a fair fight. For some unknown reason, he couldn’t or wouldn’t visit her. There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity, and Sarah didn’t want to go anywhere near that line. So, she compartmentalized the Labyrinth in her thoughts and emotions. She would find a way to meet her friends again. Someday, she would see them again. She would never forget them. Even though she always felt like she was forgetting something about her time in the Labyrinth. She could just never remember what…

**_Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock_ **

“Seriously? Only two knocks will do.” Sarah stood up, placed her beloved red book back on the shelf, and gathered her piano books and lesson planner.

She walked to her piano and unceremoniously dropped the books on the piano bench. Gathering all the fake enthusiasm she could muster, Sarah moseyed her way to the door and opened it wide to greet her pupil.

“Landon and Mrs. Casey. How are you? Please come in.”

“Good evening, Sarah,” Mrs. Casey replied while making a beeline straight for the couch.

Mrs. Casey’s son, shoulders slumped, meandered his way over to the piano bench and plopped his body down without as much as a “hi” to Sarah. She’d only had Landon Casey as a piano student for a month, and so far, that was becoming a month too long. He was the most disorderly ten year old she ever met.

 _Of course. I shouldn’t expect any more from these two,_ Sarah thought.

“So,” Sarah said while making her way over to the piano. “Were you able to finish the piece?”

Even though her voice portrayed a type of optimism not normally found in piano teachers overwhelmed with lazy students, she knew the answer to her question before the words left her mouth.

“No,” said Landon, who found the floor to be the most amazing thing in the world.

The mega eye roll from Sarah could not be suppressed. Not that it mattered. Landon was too busy staring at the floor and his mother was too busy looking over a Pottery Barn catalogue.

_Deep breaths, Sarah. You can do this._

“Landon. Why could you not finish the piece?” Sarah asked evenly.

“It’s just too hard,” he replied, not even trying to convince his teacher that he wasn’t.

Sarah, trying to be as patient as she could be, said, “You’ve been saying that for the past three weeks. You said it was too hard the first week. So for the past two weeks, we practiced the treble and bass clefs separately. You seemed to be doing fine with them separately. All that was left was putting the two together.”

“Oh, Sarah,” piped up Mrs. Casey. “He hasn’t been able to practice his cords for the past several weeks. With all the trips we’ve been taking this summer, it has just been terribly difficult for Landon to focus on his piano.”

Mrs. Casey, now too busy to look at Sarah because her manicure needed attention tout suite, was never short on excuses to hand over on behalf of her indolent offspring.

_Why pay for lessons if you don’t ensure that he actually practices something!_

Not even five minutes into the lesson, and Landon already had Sarah rubbing her temples, wishing she bought some Excedrin earlier in the week.

_Last lesson and then vacation. Just remember that, Sarah._

Piping up again and still refusing to be quiet, Mrs. Casey offered, “Why don’t you just play the music for him like all the other times. That method seemed to work well then. Just do that again, Sarah.”

“No offense Mrs. Casey, but he’s had three weeks to be able to play this music properly… and… Landon, switch me spots,” Sarah said. She had an idea of what was going on here.

Landon moved over to her chair next to the piano, and Sarah situated herself on the piano bench. He’d always been able to play the music when she immediately played it for him…. _Let’s see if I’m right on this._

The music selection for Landon’s lesson was one of Sarah’s favorites. In fact, most of her students, even the more vexing ones, seemed to like it. She loved the music and words, and most of her students loved that it was simple. Others liked to brag that they were able to play Tchaikovsky, as though they had been turned into concert pianists.

Sarah played the song as asked, but a bit slower than the music styling dictated. Sarah had a habit of singing along with the songs that had lyrics, and why not? It gave life to music and usually made her pupils more interested in song.

**_I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream_ **

**_I know you. The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a-gleam_ **

**_Yet I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem_ **

**_But if I know you, I know what you do_ **

**_You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_ **

 

While Sarah was playing, she noticed Landon staring at her hands. When she finished, she had him switch seats with her.

“Okay, Landon. Try playing now.”

“Um… okay.”

Landon proceeded to play the piece. And he played it perfectly. Well, that might have been a bit hyperbolic, but he played it well. A few blips but nothing atrocious. It’s almost as though he….

“Do you memorize my hand movements when I play and just copy what you see?” Sarah asked.

“Umm…maybe, possibly.” Landon said who now had the decency and self-awareness to be embarrassed by his actions.

“Oh, Sarah.” _Mrs. Casey really should stop talking_ , Sarah thought. “Landon was having trouble memorizing the notes and symbols and such. So, I old him to just memorize your hand movements.” Oh, look. Mrs. Casey was actually looking at Sarah with a smile so artificially sweet, Sarah could have sworn the woman could give people cavities.

The headache developing at the back of Sarah’s head became a full-blown migraine with bright lights and all.

“Excuse me?” Sarah now did not care whether her frustration was becoming blatantly apparent. She turned in her chair to fully eye the overly indulgent woman on her couch.

Mrs. Casey seemed taken aback by the shift in Sarah’s tone. “Well, I don’t understand the problem. All that matters is that he can play the music piece, right? And he just showed you that he can play it. So move on with the next piece already.”

“No. That’s not the point of these lessons at all or any lessons. The point is that he learns how to read music, which is basically another language, and be able to apply that to any piece of music he reads.” Sarah’s temper was starting to rise to a boil. “If he just memorizes my hand motions, he will never learn to play independent of anyone else. If all you care about is that he memorizes hand motions, then have him look at videos on the computer. At least you will save yourself some money and my time!”

The laughing snort next to Sarah was not lost on her. Granted, if this was happening to someone else, she would find this quite comical as well. But it wasn’t. This woman was allowing her son to slouch off week after week and just get by and, most importantly, waste Sarah’s time. She could fill this time slot with someone who would actually apply him or herself and wanted to be here. Enough is enough.

_Deep breaths. Don’t kill the woman._

“Mrs. Casey, I think it’s time you find a new piano tutor for Landon. I don’t believe I’m the best fit for how you think he should be taught.” _Wow,_ thought Sarah, _I sound like a real adult who doesn’t want to strangle the person in front of me. Personal victory for me._

“Well”, Mrs. Casey scoffed. “If you feel that way, I believe there is not much else we can do about that, now can we?”

Sarah noticed her reaching for her purse. “No, no. That won’t be necessary. It hasn’t even been twenty minutes, let alone an hour. No payment required,” Sarah stated in her most business-like tone, one that she surely stole from her father. She leveled her gaze with Mrs. Casey, letting her know that she and her money could just go now.

As Sarah got up to open her door, Landon scrambled together his barely opened piano books and met his mother at the door. As the Caseys left through the threshold, Landon turned to say “sorry” in a quiet and sheepish manner that caused mild shock to register on Sarah’s face.

“It’s okay, Landon. Have a good night.” With that, the Casey’s walked down the hall and out of Sarah’s life. _Thank goodness._ Leaning against her door, she tried her best to rub out her migraine.

Sarah looked toward on the adjacent wall to her right to check the time. Eight o’clock. “Damn it. I haven’t even finished packing…or started for that matter.” Since Spring Break was next week, she thought it would be a good time to visit her family in New York. It had been nearly a year and half since she’d made the trek over to the opposite coast. And if Sarah had to hear her step-mother complain one more time about how they always had to travel and Sarah never did, she would probably smash her phone against the nearest wall. And thanks to two cancellations the next day, Sarah had an extra day off. A few phone calls with the airline later and Sarah was able to change her flight plans and leave a day early. Not only was she flying over to stay with her family for the week, but she was also going to surprise them a day early.

Karen should be thrilled. With all that in mind, Sarah moseyed her way to her bedroom to pack for her trip…with the distinct feeling that she was forgetting something.

Always forgetting something…

 


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home_

_Tell the world I'm coming home_

* * *

 

Getting out of the cab and walking toward her parents’ front door, Sarah couldn’t help the smile that slowly crept across her face. She did not realize how good it would feel to be home. Making her way up the steps to the front door, she barely had enough time to reach for the key to the house when the door swung open and a pre-teen boy with sandy blond hair and large blue eyes stood before her.

“Sarah!” Toby yelled as he barreled toward her, nearly knocking Sarah off her feet while administering a near death grip hug around her midsection, her back-length hair becoming an unwilling victim. The mini-tackle from Toby caused Sarah to drop her burlap messenger bag on the ground and topple her carry-on over.

“OH! Well… nice to see you too, Tobes.” Sarah tried to return the hug but found that a problematic task since she was quickly running out of air and breathing room.

“I knew it was you,” Toby said as he bent down to pick up his sister’s bags. “I heard a car, and I knew it just had to be you coming up the driveway. Mom said you weren’t going to be here until tomorrow.”

“Yeah, well,” Sarah said as she unhooked her brother from her waist.  “I had an extra day off and thought I should surprise you with my wondrous presence. You should feel honored,” she said with a faux air of importance.

“Oh, of course, your majesty,” he said while rolling his eyes. “I am but your humble servant.” Playing along, Toby gave a sweeping bow. Well the best he could while holding his sister’s bags.

“Here. Let me have a bag. No reason for you to handle both of them.”

Toby refused to release the bags and walked into the house instead. “Nope. I’m supposed to carry the bags. Mom says I’m supposed to be working on my manners…or whatever,” he said over his shoulder.

While walking into the house, Sarah felt that all-too-familiar comfort that always occurred when she returned home. Karen was right, a year was really too long between visits. Funny, how a former teen who played in the park for hours reciting her plays was now an adult who missed the house that her adolescent self viewed as a cage. They say time heals all wounds. For Sarah, time also brings things into perspective. Trips to magical realms tend to do that to a person.

Viewing her stepmother as some sort of wicked witch had dissolved as Sarah aged. Sarah became less melodramatic and realized that, not only was everything not about her, but also that everything was not happening directly _to_ her. Sometimes, she finally recognized, situations happen, good or bad, and that does not mean that people are out to sabotage you. It was not Karen’s fault that her mother passed away when Sarah was a baby, and it was not fair to ask her dad to be a single widower for the rest of his life.  Furthermore, it was not Toby’s fault that he could not stop crying that night or any night really. Babies cry, and they, too, are not out to get you.

Sarah still does not view Karen as her mother. Sarah had a mother, and she passed. However, Sarah and Karen’s relationship could best be described as best friends who shared most things with each other. Still, Sarah knew better than to tell the woman married to her father everything about her life. And Toby, well, Toby is a precocious pre-teen who has yet to figure out that it is not cool to bear hug his sister and call her every other day. That day of reckoning will come, Sarah realized as she followed Toby to the living room, and she would not be ready for it. She’d come to appreciate that little boy more than her parents will ever know.

Speaking of little…

“Hey! When did you get so tall? I don’t like this, you growing and all.” Sarah leaned her hip against the off-white couch and crossing her arms.

“He’s growing like a weed and eating everything in this house.” Robert’s voice came from behind Sarah.

Sarah spun around and her green eyes sparkled with mirth. “Dad! How are you? I didn’t hear you come in.” Sarah reached up to wrap her arms around her father’s neck, giving Toby’s tackle a run for its money.

Robert carefully unhooked his daughter’s arms and cleared his throat. “I was in the study. I didn’t hear anything until you guys came inside. Karen’s upstairs doing something. I’m not quite sure, actually.”

Right on cue, Karen came through door with open arms. “Sarah! We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.” Sarah walked forward and allowed her stepmother to gather her in her arms.

“I just thought I would surprise everyone and arrive early. Did you get a haircut?” Over the past few years, Karen had allowed her hair to grow out. She finally became tired of her long tresses and cut her hair into a bob.

“Yes. I did. Nearly four months ago,” Karen said, sounding slightly affronted. “These are the things you miss when you go so long without visits.”

“Who wants to visit just to look at your hair?” Toby said with a mouth full of pretzels, standing behind everyone. Apparently, he was able to sneak out of the room to seize some snacks without looking. Boys are sneaky like that.

“Tobias Robert Williams!” Karen exclaimed. “No talking with food in your mouth. And you shouldn’t be eating those now anyway.”

“Yeah. At least without sharing,” Sarah joined in while reaching for the pretzel bag, which earned her a blank stare from Karen and a poorly concealed chuckle/cough from Robert.

“Oh, Sarah. I do wish you would have called to say you were coming early,” Karen said in an exaggerated manner.

“Why? What’s going on?” Sarah asked with her mouth now full of pretzel.

“Honestly,” Karen said, throwing her hands in the air. “You two. I don’t know what I’m going to do for the next week with you both in this house.”

Sarah wiped her hands on her jeans, earning her a full blown stink eye from Karen. Sarah, pretending she didn’t notice Karen, reached over the back of the couch to grab her burlap messenger bag that Toby unceremoniously dropped off.

“So, what’s happening here?” Karen enquired as she watched Sarah furiously rummage through her bag in search for something.

“Sarah? What are you doing?” Robert asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. _Did her bag turn into a black hole,_ he thought.

Snatching a medium-sized box from the clutches of her bag, Sarah held her arm up in mini-triumph. “Here. Finally, found it.” She extended the box to Karen. “Open it.”

Karen took the box from Sarah and carefully opened it. Slowly opened it, Toby thought. “What is it? What is it? What is it?” Toby demanded loudly.

“That’s really unnecessary, Toby,” Robert called from the kitchen.

“Oh, Sarah! It’s so lovely.” Karen gingerly held the blue-green, glass ring bowl in her hand.

“I saw you eyeing some of the blown glass items when you came to visit me. I thought I could take a stab in the dark and give you a little something. Anything bigger and I was afraid it would’ve been crushed in my bag,” Sarah explained.

“It’s beautiful, Sarah. Truly.” Karen reached over and grabbed Sarah into a fierce hug.

Sarah did miss her family. The death grips, however, she could do with less of those.

“Okay. Okay. I didn’t actually make it. Just bought it and stuck it in my bag.”

“Speaking of your bag…” _Uh oh,_ Sarah thought, trying hard not to roll her eyes. _Here she goes again._

Sarah has had her messenger bag for as long as she could remember. Her beloved taupe, burlap bag had a tree and a moon that sparkled like opal. When Sarah asked her father years ago where he got it, he claimed to have no idea. Sarah had always believed that it must have been her mother’s, even though her father claimed to have never seen her mother with the bag. Nevertheless, Sarah has kept it with her always. Karen had been trying to make Sarah ditch her beloved bag ever since she turned eighteen. Bags like that are for kids and Sarah was now an adult in need of items more posh, according to Karen, at least.

“…How long have you had that thing? Seriously, it’s older than Toby and looks the part.” Karen spared a disgusted look toward the bag now draped over the arm of the couch.

“It’s just a bag, Karen. Does it really matter how old it is? It still functions,” Sarah explained, trying to make her stepmother drop the topic.

“If it’s just a bag, why can’t you get rid of it?”

“Karen…” Sarah plopped herself down on the couch, clutching her bag in case Karen attempted to grab and burn it in one fell swoop.

Robert, having heard the conversation in the kitchen, came gallantly walking into the room to save the day, or at least an impending headache for all.

“Hey! So… Sarah. What Karen was trying to bring up earlier is that we have a thing to take Toby to in the City.”

“Thing? What kind of thing? All three of you?” Sarah tried hard not to sound outright astonished by the thought that all three members of her family would be going on an outing to New York City. The fact was that Karen rarely liked to do what Toby and Robert wanted to do, which is why Karen usually went out with friends while the boys had their fun.

“Yes. All three of us,” Karen said in a distractedly bored tone. “Toby wanted to go to a ballgame for his birthday, but only wanted to go if I came along as well. So off I go.”

“At a ballgame, eh?” Sarah turned to Toby, who was now sitting next to her on the couch, and looked him straight in the eye. “Toby, I’ll give you ten bucks if you convince Karen to eat an entire basket of nachos,” Sarah wagered.

“Sarah…” Karen was none too amused by her stepdaughter’s antics.

Toby held out his hand for an agreement. “Twenty and you got yourself a deal.”

“Toby, Sarah. I have no intention of eating that terrible stadium food. In fact, we are leaving early so we can get to Queens and have some Peruvian food. That’s why I wished you had called to say that you were coming early. We could have gotten you an extra ticket.”

“Don’t worry about me, Karen. You guys can enjoy the day out. I’m kina tired from flying anyway. I wouldn’t be able to stay awake during the game.”

Toby interjected, “Our section is sold out. Sarah wouldn’t be able to sit with us. What would be the point in having her sit far away?”

Karen hemmed and hawed as she made her way to sit down in the Queen Anne-style winged back chair adjacent the couch. “I just don’t like leaving you behind, Sarah.”

“It’s fine. Really. I’ll be here for an entire week. We can do things together then. Don’t fuss over it. And if you aren’t going to eat the nachos, eat the salted pretzel with cheese sauce.” Sarah smiled as she pictured Karen eating anything that florescent in color.

Karen gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Oh just drop it, Sarah. I’m not going to eat that plastic cheese crap.”

“All right, you two, it’s nearly three. It’s almost time to go. Get your things together, Toby,” Robert said, strolling into the living room with a New York Mets hat that had clearly seen better days.

Sarah tried valiantly to suppress her laughter at the sight of her father. The man was clearly not a hat person. He could pull off a fedora only when he was decked out in his work suit and wool coat.

Robert walked over to the spot in the couch previously occupied by Toby. Karen could be heard in the background telling the young boy not to run. “What’s so funny?” Robert asked, obviously knowing the source of his daughter’s mirth.

“Why do you wear that? You know you look…” Sarah paused, trying to choose her words carefully. “That hat just looks out of place on you.” Sarah casually flipped the bill of the hat upward causing the hat to sit slightly crooked on his head.

“Hey. Be nice. I’ve had this thing for as long as I can remember. It means a lot to me. Plus, baseball items are so expensive. There’s no way I’m paying those prices.”

Sarah shook her head in slight disbelief. Yes, money for a new baseball hat was surely too much money for a Manhattan-based corporate attorney with a stay at home wife. _But whatever_ , Sarah thought. _That hat isn’t on my head_.

“By the way,” Robert continued. “Some point this week you should come to the city to meet me for lunch. We have a new associate attorney. He’s young and single. Has a nice place in Chelsea. Not a teacher...”

Sarah placed her hands up in protest. “Oh no, you don’t. You are not setting me up with someone you work with…”

Robert attempted to justify his actions. “Technically, he works under me…”

“That’s worse! Nope. Just leave me alone. And for your information, there is nothing wrong with being a teacher. Dylan was just an asshole.” Sarah crossed her arms and gave her father her best stiff upper lip.

“Yes. Well. I just don’t want you to get hung up on what happened to you…”

“Dad,” Sarah interposed. “It’s been two months. I’m over it. I’m over him. Just promise me you won’t try to set me up with some guys at the firm.” Sarah gave Robert her best pleading eyes while grasping his upper arm. “I came here to hang out with you guys and relax. Nothing more.”

Sarah went still immediately. _Where did that come from?_

Like angels sent from heaven to rescue Sarah from the excruciating mental tussle she was about to put herself through, Toby walked into the living room dressed in his jeans, player’s jersey and ball cap, and a baseball mitt in one hand. Karen followed behind him, dressed in a maxi dress and a cardigan. Well, she was going, at least, and that’s the most important thing.

“All right. Looks like you two are ready to go,” Robert said while standing and making his way to the front door. Sarah followed behind Karen and Toby as they trailed behind Robert.

Karen turned around, looking more concerned than she should, at least to Sarah.

“Are you going to be okay, Sarah? Maybe you can come down with us to eat and go back when we head to the game,” Karen offered.

Sarah slowly shook her head. “Karen, that doesn’t make any sense. I’ve got money and a phone. When I get hungry, I’ll just order myself some food. You know, I do live on my own most of the time.”

“I know, I know,” Karen said absentmindedly while slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I just wish you could come with us. Seems so wrong to leave you here.”

 _So much melodrama_ , Sarah thought fondly.

_Honk Honk Hoooonk_

“I don’t know if that’s Dad or Toby, but you better go.” Sarah opened her arms to give her stepmother a hug. For some reason, a hug seemed like something Karen needed. Karen then made her way out the door, toward the car. “I’ll see you later tonight,” Sarah called out, waving to her family while they slowly backed out of the driveway.

Sarah shut and locked the door. Her thoughts immediately turned to food. No. Sleep. _I should come up with a way to eat and sleep at the same time._ She turned and made her way back to the living room to take her bags upstairs. Clearly, her brother’s manners training stopped on the first floor.

Sarah carefully lifted and carried her bag up the stars, lest she scuff the stairs and receive the all-feared ire of Karen. Walking into her room after a year, a lesser person would expect dust to fly into Sarah’s face. However, Karen’s OCD for cleaning was always considered an asset whenever Sarah came home. Her room was always clean and dust-free on arrival.

A vanity-free room is not the only thing that greeted her. Not only did she pack away her vanity years ago, but also all her toys and posters. Or, as Karen would say, juvenile items. Sarah could only put them in storage in the attic. Even at her stepmother’s insistence, Sarah could not bear to truly give those things away. However, she could not tolerate seeing those items anymore after she came to the realization that she could no longer contact that other world. Yet, there were two things that Sarah could not place into storage, but took with her whenever she left home: Lancelot and the red book that started it all, The Labyrinth. Even now, at twenty-five, she still has the stuffed bear and the book in her burlap bag. Toby kept Lancelot for several years until he decided that only girls play with stuffed animals. Since then, Lancelot had been by Sarah’s side. As much as Sarah would like to sell or, frankly, bury, the red book, she could not bring herself to part with the tome. If someone, like Karen, asked her why, she would just say “Because.” Maybe because, just like her burlap bag, Sarah always believed that these three items came from her mother. As always, Robert denied the fact that these belongings were once her deceased mother’s, but to Sarah, it does not really hurt anyone to think of this as truth. So, why not go with it?

The knick-knacks and posters on the wall have been replaced with a cool, blue paint color and framed family pictures, the colorful bedspread replaced with a white, cottony comforter. Sarah ungracefully dropped her bags on the floor. She decided that sleep beats food any day and unceremoniously fell face first onto her comforter, content for the time being to dream of food rather than eat it.

Four hours later, Sarah woke up to the little light available from the setting sun and a stomach ready to eat the first thing her eyes laid on. Rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms out, Sarah hoisted herself out of bed and straightened her dark blue jeans and grey t-shirt, _for absolutely no one in particular_ , Sarah groggily realized. Sarah shuffled her way out of her room and down the stairs into the kitchen. Recognizing that she was losing light fast, she turned on the lights to the kitchen. She recognized quickly that cooking is for suckers and grabbed the first Chinese takeout menu tacked to the refrigerator door. “Mayflower Chinese Restaurant,” she wondered aloud while reaching for handset. “What does the Mayflower have to do with Chinese food? Whatever. Hope this place is decent.”

After ordering nearly half the menu, Sarah took the phone back to the charging stand. Upon placing the phone in the stand, the power in the kitchen went out. _No_ , Sarah thought. _The power in the entire house is out._ The ever-present night light in the living room was gone. She took a few steps to the window and noticed two things: the neighbors’ lights were still working and the sun had completely set. _What the…_

“Princess Sarah?” spoke a male voice in a heavily lilted voice from behind Sarah.

Sarah’s back went rigid. Slowly turning, she saw two men, made of light. No… surrounded by light? Wait… are they making their own light. The light coming from the direction of the two men engulfed the large kitchen, allowing Sarah to see them fully. Both were fairly tall. Extremely and unnaturally pale. One with brown eyes and the other with amber and dark, long, sleek hair that was fashioned in a half ponytail. Both were wearing black, knee-length boots, black trousers, and long, silvery gray tunics with woven belts tied around their midsections… with **_swords_** fashioned to their sides. Enough with the attempt to remember enough details to eventually give the police. Sarah backed up one step, then two, and then let out a gut-wrenching scream. Immediately, her hands grasped at her throat. No sound was coming out.  

The man with the amber eyes took two steps forward. Due to sheer terror from the loss of her voice and the appearance of men with swords, Sarah hurryingly walked backwards, tripped and landed against the wall. She was trying so hard to withhold the tears from coming. Alas, that was a battle she was barely winning.

 _He’s going to kill me,_ Sarah sobbed inwardly. _The Goblin King sent them to kill me. The bastard couldn’t even face me himself to do it._ Her darkest fears were about to come true.

The amber eyed man stopped after two steps at the sight of the near hysterical woman in front of him. “Please, peace, Your Highness. We mean you no ill will,” the man said in a tone that almost made Sarah want to comply with his wishes.

“Our sincerest apologies, Princess, we did not mean to take away your ability to speak. We just could not risk your screams attracting attention from the outside realm,” said the brown eyed man.

Attempting to speak in coherent thoughts, Sarah said the first thing that came to her mind: “What?” Her voice, she realized, had come back. “What are you talking about?” she asked slowly and calmly, trying not to risk losing her voice again. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house?” Confusion and anger rising within her, she slowly stood, the wall acting as a crutch for her back. _If they are going to kill me right away, I might as well get some answers._

The two men shot each other a look. “Those are very involved and complicated questions,” stated the amber eyed man. “You will have to come with us.”

Sarah was flabbergasted. “What? No! No way. On what planet would I just go with some random dudes who broke into a house and have swords attached to their hip. Are you going to kill me? Did the Goblin King send you?” As each accusation poured out of Sarah’s mouth, the louder and more accusatory she became. No longer was her back against the wall. Instead, she stood in front of both men with arms crossed over her chest, eyes darting back and forth from one man to the other, demanding to know what was going on.

The moment Sarah mentioned “The Goblin King,” the two men’s previously tranquil expression instantly became looks of disgust and revulsion.

The brown eyed man spoke first. “Dear Princess, why would you ever think that we would do the bidding of such a lout?”

 _Heh. Looks like the Goblin King isn’t very good at making friends_ , Sarah wryly thought.

“We would never serve such a scoundrel. Your highness, we are here on assignment from the King and Queen of the Seelies, to bring you back home.”

Feeling faint, Sarah reached back again for the wall behind her for support.

“I’m sorry. What?” Sarah felt herself thinking questions faster than she can verbally ask them. “King and Queen? Wait... you have been calling me ‘Princess’. Why? Please tell me what is happening,” she implored, her hands raised in the surrender position.

The two men looked at each other, gave each other a nod, and then turned back to Sarah.

“First,” the amber eyed man started. “In our haste to bring you back, we have forgotten our manners and our place. My name is Eòran, armed guard of the Seelie Court.” He gave a sweeping bow.

“And my name is Odhran, armed guard of the Seelie Court,” said the brown eyed man announced with a bow, as well.

After several seconds, both men remained in the bowed position. Feeling incredibly awkward, Sarah said uncertainly, “Um. You may rise?”

Both men rose with genuine smiles on their face, causing Sarah to finally relax, a little, anyway.

Eòran cleared his throat to speak. “We do not know all of the details of what happened or how it happened. What we do know is that you are the exiled daughter of the King and Queen of the Seelie Faes, which of course would make you a Princess, the only heir to the Seelie Throne. You were sent here to escape war and the kidnapping plot by the Unseelie King.”

Sarah held up her hand in protest. “Excuse me? How am I the daughter of Faes? I was born here. I was born and raised by humans.”

Odhran took his turn in trying to make Sarah understand. “I am sorry, Your Highness, but we do not know how you were implanted into the human world. The King’s head seer was in charge of the magic that allowed your escape. After the threats subsided, the search began for your return. We have been searching for the past six or seven earth years…”

“Huh? Don’t you fae people have magic? Why was it so hard to find me?” Sarah asked with a sense of pride that she may have finally asked a question that would stump her unwelcome guest.

Odhran and Eòran exchanged concerned looks. “We do not know,” Odhran said with as much confidence as that statement would allow.

“You don’t know? You. Don’t. Know.” Sarah emphatically asked. “Magical beings couldn’t find a lowly human?”

“The seer believes that you still have some of your fae traits. What happened to you has never been done before,” Eòran tried his best to explain.

Sarah started rubbing her temples vigorously. “This can’t be happening. You two and all those people from wherever the hell you are from…”

“The Underground,” Eòran interjected.

“Yeah. Okay,” Sarah waving him off while still trying to fend off a migraine. “So, this king and queen expect me to just leave the world I know behind, and trust the word of strangers with weapons that I have no knowledge of, and just go with you two to wherever the hell you drag me off to. Is that what is supposed to happen?”

“Essentially,” Odhran said slowly. “Although, we have no intentions of dragging you anywhere, Princess. That would go against protocol.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Oh well that’s  nice to know. Very reassuring.”

Eòran interjected again. “We have direct orders from the throne to let you know that once your magic training has matured, you will be able to visit the humans you have spent these past years with.”

“The _humans_?” Sarah asked, clearly insulted. “These are the only family I know. I have no intentions of leaving them and trusting you. Neither one of you have given me any indication that I should believe you.”  Her mini-monologue must have given Sarah a backbone because she started to turn her back on the two faes and walked away from them.

“What about Lancelot, Your Highness,” Eòran quickly interjected. The sound of his voice betrayed the panic that he must be feeling inside. 

“Excuse me?” Sarah whispered, turning her head to the side. “What did you say?”

“The Queen said that if you refused to believe what we explained to you, you would believe us if we mentioned a toy bear you named Lancelot.”

With wide eyes, Sarah fully turned to face the two faes. Mist started to gather in her eyes. No one outside of her immediate family knew about Lancelot and how important that toy was to her.

“No,” Sarah whispered to herself. “This can’t be happening.”

“Please, Your Highness, you will be able to return one day. The King gave his word,” Odhran said in reassurance.

She could not go. Could she? This was all so insane. But part of her told herself that she had to do this. Her curiosity would not allow her to walk away from the situation even though another part of her told her to go back to her room and pretend this had never happened.

“All right. You got me.” Sarah sighed and dropped her arms to her side with a thud.

Relief spread across Odhran and Eòran’s faces.

“But,” Sarah quickly added, “I’m going to grab some things to take with me. They’re upstairs. I’ll be right back. I promise.”

Odhran and Eòran both nodded their heads in understanding as Sarah turned to run up the stairs.

Sarah burst through her bedroom door and took a quick inventory of what she wanted to bring. _Wait a minute?_ She wondered. _Why do I want to bring anything?_

Granted, her last words to the sword carrying Faes were probably just to buy herself some time.

 _“Make sure you don’t forget anything…”_ a nagging voice in back of her head came pounding through her skull.

“Forget what,” Sarah nearly yelled into the empty room. Clutching her head to stop the dull thud in her head that never truly went away since the arrival of Frick and Frack, Sarah made a quick tour of her bedroom. Sarah grabbed her much beloved bag and looked inside. As always, Lancelot and the red book were still there. Not wanting to waste any more time, Sarah’s adrenalin kicked into gear. She unzipped her carryon bag taking out her makeup bag, some under garments, two pairs of jeans, a long sleeve grey shirt, a tank top, and simple white t-shirt and carefully packed them into her bag. She may not know exactly what is happening or where she is going, but she will not be naked when she gets there.  Pulling her bag over her head, she walked down the hall to Toby’s room. She grabbed a pen and some paper from his desk and wrote a note to her brother and parents. Even though she knew she would be back, that she had to come back, Sarah had to steady herself to ensure that she did not break down and cry.

_No reason to become maudlin, Sarah. You’re not saying goodbye. Just let them know that you’ll be back soon._

Taking the letter in her hand, she head downstairs where Odhran and Eòran stood in the same position she left them in. Having placed the note on the kitchen island, Sarah turned to glare at the two guards.

“Promise me one thing before we leave,” Sarah clearly stated. No tears. No pleading.

“Of course. Anything, Your Highness,” Odhran said.

“Reassure me that what you have told me is the truth. I have nothing to go on but the word of two mythical strangers I have never met. I’m leaving the only family I know. Yet, you tell me that’s this isn’t real. And damn it if my curiosity kills me, but I can’t just let what you guys said go. I truly wish I could. So, just tell me that what I’m doing is right, that you two are not lying to me.” Sarah let out a not-so-steady breath of air as she finished her small rant. Her anxious hands gripped the hem of her t-shirt.

Both men raised the palm of their right hands to their chest and gave a brief bow to Sarah.

“We swear to you, that what we have told you is to be true,” Eòran said solemnly.  
“Verily, Princess, we may not know everything,” Odhran continued.  “But, the information we have been given is to be trusted. We swear our lives on it. ”

With a curt nod of her head, Sarah walked up to the two men. “All righty then. Let’s go.”

And with that, Eòran reached out to grab Sarah’s shoulder. In a flash of light, the room around her changed from her childhood home to a small, stone room lit only by iron sconces. They lined the walls with crystal orbs that glowed with magic. The altar-looking slab of stone in the middle of the room did not help calm her nerves. 

“It’s about time,” came a voice from behind Sarah.

Sarah quickly turned toward the sounds and found herself staring at a dwarf…no.

  _An Elf?_ _A short fae?_

Standing in front of what Sarah quickly learned to be the only door in the room was a male around five feet, three inches. He was older, very old actually, and his voice conveyed his years, yet it had a smooth brogue that would soothe anyone who would listen to him. He wore a hooded, dark green robe that concealed the rest of his body.

Stepping into the light, the man removed his hood. His bright white hair was presumably long and pulled back, the length hiding under the robe. His ears were quite large and pointed to the extreme. He had no discerning eye markings like the two guards on either side of her.

_What is an elf, Alex?_

“My dear, look at how you’ve grown in these many years,” he said warmly even though the warmth never met his eyes or mouth.

“Um… thank you,” Sarah trying to decide whether or not this creature was about to have her slain.

“Yes, child,” the hooded old man said matter-of-factly while walking close to the altar, holding a worn, wooden box in his hands. “What I said was a compliment. One usually says ‘thank you’ to such statements.”

Mythical world or not, Sarah could not contain her derision for such attitudes.

“Really? I don’t know what’s going on. I’m coerced here, and I have no idea where here is. And, you think now is the time to make me feel vapid. I don’t even know your name. I’m being insulted by someone I don’t even know.”

He lifted his head, which was previously staring at the wooden box to stare at Sarah with an all-knowing sneer. “My, my. The aboveground has changed you. I told them that would be a consequence,” he started to brag, flailing his hand around in the air. “But no one wanted to listen to me. What is the point in being an advisor and High Seer if my fears are discarded? My dear, I am Finnean. I am an advisor to the King and High Seer, as I previously stated. I am the one who placed you aboveground the one who has been searching for you. I will also be the one to bring you back…”

“Bring me back where?” Sarah interrupted. “And how did you place me aboveground in the first place.”

“Please, lie down here.” Finnean pointed to the altar.

Sarah raised a hand toward the seer. “No, no. I think I deserve some answers before I just go along for this ride.”

The High Seer let out a heavy sigh while shaking his head. “No. Hardly anything like the way you were before. Fine. But only the short of it; we are already behind schedule.”

Sarah nodded in acceptance of his terms.

“Hopefully, these two guards stated the reason why this happened, yes? War? Kidnapping?” Sarah nodded in agreement. “I will answer your second question first, since that is the most reasonable approach. What made your conversion to the aboveground possible is based on changeling magic. Even in the aboveground, you know about changelings, correct? Well, due to the extreme situations surrounding the Court, I was asked to find a way to keep you safe from harm. While any troll can produce changelings, to insert a grown fae into human life and to insert memories into both as though the fae had always been there, well, that, my dear, was never heard of. But, I found the scroll. The process had never been done. It had been written down eons ago but never actually practiced. But the King and Queen were desperate...”

 “Wait a minute. How can you just mess with people’s memories to think they had a child that they never had?”

“Human minds,” Finnean said with a great deal of contempt. “Human minds are so wonderfully susceptible to many things, especially magic. Find a lonely widower who longs for a child… well, the magic used to make him believe that he has always had a child is an easy task. The difficult process is,” Finnean said, his voice rising due to excitement, “not how to convince a human of a changeling. Rather, how to convince the changeling that she always belonged there.”

Sarah’s interest was now piqued. She just had to take the bait.

“Okay. How does that happen?”

“Complicated magic, of course.” Finnean, in Sarah’s mind, was all too proud of himself at this point. “You do not have the eyebrows of fae. You cannot use magic. Your ears are rounded at the end like a human’s. Frankly, I turned you human. I kept everything about you in the Underground, here.” Finnean motioned to the box in his hand. “Your magical abilities, your memories, your fae-ness. Everything is in this box. However, I believe the physical traits you now possess are the ones you are stuck with.  Nothing could be found to change you back.”

“So, I’ll be a human with magic,” Sarah asked, trying not to be completely overwhelmed.

“ _No_! Of course not. We cannot have a **_human_** inherit the throne. You will become fae again. Nevertheless, I cannot guarantee that you will receive all of your former fae physical traits.”

“Will I forget, you know, my human memories?” Sarah looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to say what she wanted to hear.

“Honestly, I do not know.”

That was not the answer she wanted to hear.

With a deep breath, Sarah attempted to calm her nerves. _You’re already here. Finally need to take that last step._

“Fine. What do I need to do?” Sarah unfalteringly asked.

“Again. Lie down here,” Finnean curtly said while pointing to the large slab of stone.

Sarah, keeping her bag on her person, lay supine on the cold, dark, stone slab. A chill went up her spine, and she could not tell if that was the temperature of the rock or her fear.

To her right, Finnean opened the wooden box and pulled out an opaque crystal the size of a grapefruit.

The High Seer turned to the two guards. “You two,” he ordered, “Hold her down by her shoulders. We do not want her hurting herself.”

Sarah sat up quickly. “I’m sorry… what?”

“My dear Princess, you did not truly think that changing from human to fae would be pleasant?”

Feeling a bit foolish, Sarah lowered herself slowly back down.  “Honestly, I didn’t even think about that.”

“Breath evenly,” he instructed. “Hold out your hands to make a cup. Hold them against your stomach. Very good. Now, I am going to place the crystal in your hands. Do not let go of this no matter what you see or feel.  Are these directions clear?” Sarah nodded her head meekly.

“Humans like countdowns, correct? On ‘one’, I will drop the orb in your hands and you grasp it. Ready?” Another uncertain, yet firm, nod came from Sarah.

“Three.”

_Holy shit. What am I doing? How badly is this going to hurt?_

“Two.”

_Wait a second. What did he mean by “no matter what you see?”_

“One.”

Despite her inner turmoil and reservations, Sarah did as she was told and grasped the orb when Finnegan placed it in her hands. 

The first thing that she felt was pain. Searing pain ripped through her body starting at her head and slowly snaking its way to her feet. She wanted to scream but found that she could not. If Odhran and Eòran had not restrained her, Sarah would have flown off the rock, straight in the air. As soon as the pain started, it ended. Her body went limp yet she was keenly aware of her surroundings.

A blue light encircled her and pulsed,causing Sarah to screw her eyes shut and, in vain, turn her head to the side to escape the glow coming off the orb and her body. A yellow flash tore through Sarah’s mind. In an instant, her consciousness was filled with new memories…no, actually, old memories.

\--

_“Sarah. Come on now. You have to finish your lessons,” Muiriol yelled across a field to a small, brunette child who sat astride a cream colored horse._

_“No. Just a little bit longer. Daisy has been performing her piaffes perfectly, and Mother said she would come to watch.”_

_“I am sorry, my dear. But your mother got caught up in some business. I will let her know what you and Daisy have done. Your lessons, Sarah. Now.” Muiriol demanded._

_\--_

_“Where are father and mother? When was the last time we all ate together? Months now, right?” the isolated child asked a servant while blankly staring at the food that was placed in front of her._

_\--_

_“Why do I have to have tutoring lessons alone? Other children are taught together. That’s how it happens in the books I read,” the child complained, sitting in an airy sunroom with pen and paper in front of her._

_Muiriol sat on the opposite side of the child, a book in hand, ready to start the next lesson. “Dear princess,” she said in her strong Irish brogue. “You are not now nor will you ever be like other children. No reason for you to act like something that you are not. Who would respect and admire a leader they grew up with and went to school with?”_

_\--_

As the light faded from Sarah’s mind, the last memory she had before she was sent aboveground flashed before her. A single tear ran down her cheek as she finally remembered the life she had before.

_“I didn’t ever want to come back here.”_

 


	4. Chapter 4

_There was a boy_

_A very strange enchanted boy_

* * *

 

The bright, yellow sun illuminated the bright sandstone of the castle beyond the Goblin City in the center of the Labyrinth. The day brought hustle and bustle to the city surrounding the castle. Creatures of all shapes and kinds bought and traded with traveling merchants and caravans that made their weekly trips through the markets.

Reclining in a black, wing-backed chair sat Jareth, King of the Goblins, and ruler of the Goblin Kingdom. Some may find such a title prestigious. However, the paperwork never is. In the grand office, Jareth sat behind a large, dark wood desk, attempting to imagine that the stack of letters and requests were not staring him in the face, demanding his attention. Dressed in a white, flowing shirt, grey trousers, and dark brown boots, one would suspect he spent more time on his wardrobe than his duties.

Keeping him company in the lofty study was his trusted advisor, Avitus. A tall, older fae with long mauve-grey hair and brown eyes, Avitus found that his main duty toward his King was to calmly and effectively remind Jareth that repeatedly ignoring requests would not make the problems disappear. His job was a tedious one, but Avitus was the best at it.

“Sire,” Avitus said for the third time.

Jareth was now hunched over his desk, drawing on linen paper with a piece of charcoal in hand.

Trying again to gain the monarch’s attention, Avitus loudly cleared his throat.

“Yes,” Jareth drawled out, refusing to make eye contact. “I heard you the first three attempts. After all this time, I would think that you would know when I am purposefully ignoring you.”

Poor Avitus rolled his eyes. He really was getting too old for this.

“I understand you wanting to take more time to pursue your _artistic_ endeavors,” Avitus stated, pure derision dripping off his tongue. “Unfortunately, for you, my King, you must always be a tortured artist for the sake of the kingdom.”

Jareth looked up with merriment in his eyes at the advisor sitting in front of him. Jareth closed his drawing pad and placed it in the right bottom drawer of his desk, then sat back in his chair with his hands behind his head, staring at his advisor.

“Well, what is so important to render my art _un_ important?” Jareth smirked.

“There are problems in a city in the northern province of the kingdom.” Avitus finally had the King’s attention, and he was not about to waste it on jokes. Avitus handed Jareth a piece of paper.

“As you can see on the paper, the main bridge to Oasis Steppes is in such disrepair that the town’s people refuse to travel on it and the merchants refuse to travel into the city…”

“Stop. I approved funding for a new bridge over a year ago,” Jareth interrupted.

Jareth may be easily distracted, but no one could call him an inattentive ruler.

“Umm…” Avitus clearly did not have the same memory recall as his King.

Jareth continued reading the ledger that was previously handed to him. “If the money was not used to repair the bridge, what did that seemingly useless Angus use it for? And here, a mine collapsed a few days ago? I told him to discontinue the cut and fill mining procedure months ago. Too much is mined out of that region to justify such a method. He’s lucky no one has died.”

“His name is Governor Aengus, Sire.”

“I want him _fired_ , regardless of his name. Have him exiled to one of the opal mining towns in the Northwestern province. That way he will always know what proper mining methods look like. Ensure that the miners of Oasis Steppes immediately implement the preferred mining techniques…”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty, but you are making it sound like I am to be the one to execute your orders.”

“Aren’t you an astute one? It’s one of the many reasons why I keep you around,” Jareth joked as he started scribing his orders on fine linen paper. “Inform Councilmember Derry that his new post will be as governor of the Northeastern province. The bridge needs to be fixed and the mining of the coal needs to be upgraded. You will stay there until those two issues have been fixed. Am I understood?” Jareth said, still writing down his orders.

“But…but… what about you, Sire?” Avitus asked anxiously. He did not doubt his ability to follow his King’s orders, but leaving for such a long assignment, well, who would harass the King that there is work to be done?

“Last time I checked, I am not a child. I am able to function without your continual harassment.” Jareth was folding his directives and placing it in an envelope. After grabbing the wax and seal from the upper left drawer of his desk, Jareth melted the wax on the fold of the envelope and sealed it with his ring.

“What’s the name of that elf you’ve been training?” Jareth inquired while handing the envelope to his advisor.

“His name is Cormac. But, I’ve been training him for only fifty years. He…”

“Silence.” Jareth raised his hand to silence his advisor while attempting to suppress his laugh. “I admit that I can be difficult, but I don’t think that I’m fifty years of training difficult.”

Avitus let out a heavy, resigned sigh. That poor elf will not know what hit him.

“Take this.” Jareth conjured a small crystal and casually tossed it to Avitus. “If something urgent occurs, you may contact me directly. And by urgent, I mean if someone is in danger, not that the new governor is using an incorrect style of paper for your liking.” Jareth never could resist a dig at the uptight nature of his advisor.

Avitus tensely strained his tunic coat. “Yes. Well, proper decorum is a dying attribute in society, especially in a kingdom full of rogues. I do my best to make sure it does not die completely away. Surely, you cannot blame me for trying.”

“You and Derry pack and leave as soon as possible. The quicker you leave, the sooner you can come back to save Cormac from the absurdity that is working for the King of the Goblins,” Jareth said as he stood up from his chair and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going? You have to approve the budget for the month.”

“It’s high noon. And the budget will just have to wait for lunch,” Jareth stated as he opened the door. “You know how I love our budget meetings. It will be a great crash course for Corbin.” Jareth walked out the room, the door closing behind him.

“It’s Cormac,” Avitus corrected to no one. He dropped his head in his hand. “That poor elf.”

Jareth walked into the castle’s kitchen and was immediately greeted by Gustaf, a tomte who happened to be in charge of the kitchen. With the look of an old man yet the size of a child, Gustaf, in fact, was the only one who worked in the kitchen. As a tomte, he had the massive capacity to work and preferred to do it alone. One time, Jareth sent a goblin to help Gustaf in the kitchen. Less than an hour later, Gustaf chased the befuddled and screaming goblin out of the kitchen and to the other side of the castle, threatening that the goblin, and any other creature, had better stay out of the kitchen if they valued their ears. Even Jareth learned a lesson that day: leave a tomte to do his work alone.

Jareth gave Gustaf a friendly yet terse nod and noticed that Gustaf had already set out his customary midday meal: some fruit, a wedge of cheese, and a piece of crusty bread. Jareth grabbed the meal and made a swift exit.

Jareth made his way through the castle and walked through one of the back doors that led to the private royal garden. No goblins were allowed in this part of the castle grounds. Only his advisor and gardeners were permitted access, and they had all better have good excuses on hand if they were to interrupt him here. However, today he did not want to take his break in the royal garden. Instead, he made his way toward the middle of the garden to a wrought iron door covered in ivy with large shrubs acting as a fence on either side of the door. There were no locks on the door. No key could be replicated to gain access. Jareth raised his hands to form a crystal. He pushed the crystal into the middle of the door, which absorbed the crystal and allowed the door to open. He stepped through quickly and closed the door behind him.

In front of him was his own secret garden. Various flowers grew everywhere with no plain grass in sight. Spread across the garden were iris flowers, purple irises, and among the irises were some tulips, daffodils, primroses and hyacinth. Nothing but flowers were in the garden except for a small slate walkway, a bench at the end of the path, and a small fountain tucked in the corner, water slowly pouring from a crystal ball at the top. Ever since it was created several years ago, the care of the garden fell upon Jareth as well. Normally, others would not find this odd since his magic could make long tedious work like weeding a nonissue. Yet, on more than one occasion, several castle workers had witnessed the king walking into the castle covered in mud and sweat. Why he refused to use magic none of them knew, and no one was brave enough to ask.

Jareth walked down the slate path, as he had done so many times before. Lounging cross-legged on the bench, Jareth unwrapped the cloth holding his food and ate his lunch while gazing at the water fountain. Frequently, thoughts ran through his head which involved that fateful night nearly ten years ago, thoughts for him alone, never to be shared with an advisor or spoken aloud for a ragtag band of goblins to barely hear. Some thoughts are to be kept to oneself. Some mistakes should rarely, if ever, be spoken out loud.

Hoggle, the dwarf, stood behind a topiary shaped like a sleeping deer, clutching a piece of paper in his hands as he watched Jareth walk into his garden. Although it had been nearly ten years since Hoggle helped Sarah make it to the castle, he still felt immense apprehension when having to request anything from Jareth, even a simple monetary request for gardening supplies.

Hoggle did receive some discipline for his actions, as he expected for his treacherous actions. After Hoggle and the others left Sarah in her room, Hoggle was summoned by a goblin guard to the throne room. What transpired once he arrived shocked even the most cynical part of him.

_Hoggle softly shuffled his way toward the throne, hat in hand and head held down. He noticed immediately that the throne room was completely empty of everyone but the Goblin King, who sat slumped in his throne, dressed head to toe in black, a small glass filled with amber liquid in his hand._

_“Your Majest…” Hoggle started to say, still staring at the floor._

_“Do not dare to speak, Hogsqueal,” Jareth interrupted, holding one finger up to silence the dwarf while taking a long swig of the drink. His low, even voice betrayed the typical effects of the liquid in his hand._

_“I’m not sure how aware you are of how much I want to throttle that pathetic dwarf body of yours,” Jareth stated. “To throw you into the bog only to watch you drown and watch the life leave your body.” Jareth was now looking at the glass as though he pondered its very existence. “…Because if you knew how I truly felt, you would not DARE SPEAK BEFORE BEING SPOKEN TO!” Jareth was now glaring at Hoggle, enraged._

_Hoggle, quivering like a rag doll in the wind, was secretly hoping that, whatever death sentence was to be given, it would be swift. Waiting, he discovered, was the worst feeling he had ever felt. Hoggle gave a quick glance to the throne. Jareth was sitting up straight with the amber liquid in one hand and a crystal ball in the other. Staring at the crystal ball, Jareth seemed to forget the presence of the dwarf, which made Hoggle’s waiting more pitiful and worrying._

_“The bridge that went across the Bog of Eternal Stench: fix it, alone. No help from anyone,” Jareth stated, still staring at the crystal. “The iron gate in the tunnels, fix that as well. Again, no help from anyone. There are several homes damaged from today’s earlier escapades: repair all of them to previous conditions. The goblins need to find their homes livable and comfortable. And since you are a gardener and not a builder, I will allow you the help of one other creature. All this is to be done in a week’s time. And don’t dare ask what happens if you are not successful. ”_

_Hoggle stood there openly gaping at the presumably drunk monarch. Where were the lashings, the jail time, the exile to the barren lands?_

_“You are dismissed, Hogbrain,” Jareth sneered as he massaged his head with his hand._

_And with that blatant dismissal, Hoggle ran out of the throne room as fast as his little legs would carry him._

Hoggle had his ideas as to why he was never punished in a severe way. The main theory was that if Sarah ever made her way back to the Underground, she would want to find Hoggle. And if she ever found out that something happened to him, Sarah would never forgive Jareth. Hoggle may not be the smartest creature in the kingdom, but he was not a fool and knew exactly the type of feelings the monarch had for the then stubborn teenager.

Hoggle realized how lucky he was that Jareth had let him keep his head following Sarah’s triumph. Any interaction that could allow Jareth to change his mind on whether Hoggle breathed air always made Hoggle afraid, even if it was for the monthly ground-keeping budget. If only Hoggle was able to keep in contact with Sarah all these years, maybe everything would be better for him and Jareth. Rumor among his fellow subjects was that Jareth had been trying for years to reach Sarah, yet failing at every turn.

Hoggle was brought out of his reminiscing by the subtle sound of the opening garden gate. Hoggle looked up and noticed Jareth leaving his private garden. _This has got to be done at some point,_ Hoggle thought to himself. He hobbled his way toward Jareth, who by now was closing the door shut.

“What do you want, Hogpen?” Jareth asked, his back facing Hoggle.

“Erm…um…” Hoggle struggled while wrestling with the paper in his hand.

“I would much more appreciate it if you would lose the ability to speak when I am not around,” Jareth mocked.

Presenting the piece with both hands, Hoggle said, “Uh, Your Majesty, this is the list of supplies wanted by the other gardeners. Nothin’ special, you see. Just some anti-fairy powder, seeds…”

Jareth snatched the paper from Hoggle, produced a pen from thin air, and quickly signed his name at the bottom.

“Here. Take it to comptroller. Have them give you the necessary funds,” Jareth said while shoving the paper back to Hoggle. “I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to verbalize something you do nearly every month. Bloody absurd, you are, Hogwit.” And with that last insult, Jareth marched into the castle, leaving the ever-apprehensive dwarf behind him.

As Jareth marched his way through the castle, he could not help the mantra that was repeating through his mind whenever he saw Hoggle.

_That bloody dwarf. That bloody dwarf. That bloody dwarf. That bloody dwarf._

Bad enough that Jareth knew that he breathed free air, but it was another thing entirely to have to deal with the creature after a peaceful lunch. Each passing day brought Jareth nearer to the closure he so desperately wanted for the past nine years. Over the years, he berated himself for the mistakes that were made, the simple things that could have made all the difference: no clock in the dream, not losing his temper in the tunnels, and that bloody dwarf! He should have had the little cretin locked away in his tiny home.

_That bloody dwarf._

How foolish was he to think that he could use his own subjects against Sarah? No, not foolish at all. He was the king, and his word was law. How lucky for that creature that Jareth had his reasons to keep him alive.

_That bloody dwarf._

The King of the Goblins could have had his own happy ending.

_That bloody dwarf._

Any serenity Jareth had achieved when he was in the flower garden disappeared by the time he entered his throne room. The throne room was in its normal frenzied and chaotic state. Several goblins were huddled around a quickly dwindling keg of ale. Some were yelling at each other and every so often bashing each other in the head with brooms and wooden swords. Others were lying about, passed out on one another. One goblin, for some reason, decided to spend his time chasing a light reflecting off the pasta strainer hat of another goblin- who happened to be sleeping in a crevice of a wall.

Jareth collapsed in his throne, one foot resting on the arm and the other on the floor. His head fell immediately into his right hand, trying in vain to stave off a migraine. He was not successful.

“Quiet! All of you!” Jareth barked across the throne room.

The room went instantaneously still, excluding the sound of a pasta strainer hitting the stone floor.

“Finally,” Jareth whispered to himself.

Just as Jareth started to win the migraine war, a small breeze whirled through the throne room.

“Shit,” Jareth muttered to himself.

A deep ethereal voice filled the room, “Knock. Knock, brother dear. I know you’re there.”

Jareth looked toward the ceiling with a heavy sigh. _Does he have nothing better to do?_

Jareth snapped his fingers, having resigned himself to his fate that he and his migraine would be together forever.

Suddenly, a large osprey swooped through the window and circled up through the throne room, haphazardly plunging toward the terrified goblins that were scurrying out of the room as fast as possible. Jareth, however, was not impressed by these antics and decided that going back to nursing his headache was a much better use of his time. As soon as every last goblin was gone, the osprey flew before the throne and changed into a tall, male fae.

“Must you come here to torture my subjects, Lochlan? Run out of phookas and imps to pester?” Jareth taunted.

“If that is what you consider torture, I would like to know how you keep these foolish subjects of yours inline,” Lochlan scoffed back. “It would seem that they require a firmer hand.”

Lochlan was a tall fae, an inch or two shorter than Jareth with long white hair that was swept back into a sleek, low ponytail. With sharp, angular facial features so similar to Jareth, one would think them twins, except for Lochlan’s eyes. His pure black eyes would make a passerby postulate that he had no eyes at all. Dressed in a black poets shirt, black pants with black knee high boots, he cut an intimidating picture to anyone who saw him. Everyone but Jareth, that is.

“Go away. I have no use for you,” Jareth protested.

Lochlan, as always, was unfazed by his older brother’s dismissive attitude. 

“Don’t act as though you are not happy to see me. Who else would keep you company?” Lochlan ridiculed. “I’m sure of the fact that most of your subjects lack the capacity to remember their own name.” Lochlan walked over to the window through which he flew, leaned against the wall, and crossed his legs and arms while looking at Jareth with an all-knowing grin.

“One: Don’t mock my subjects. Many of them may be idiots, but they are my idiots, and I won’t have you insulting them. Last time I checked, draugars and nøkkens are not the most enviable conversationalists,” Jareth intoned. “Second: What business do you have here? Or did you finally grow bored of that harem of yours? I’m delighted for the women actually. It must be exhausting pretending to be pleased to see you. Sounds like a dreadful position to be in.”

Jareth sat back in his throne with his head resting in his right hand, joyfully smirking at his brother. Mocking his brother has always been a surefire way to relieve him from whatever stressful ailment he may be afflicted with.

“Being outright contemptuous, are we Jareth? And here I thought I was being a loving and supportive younger brother by coming here to tell you some good news...”

“No. I don’t want any cookies you may be selling,” Jareth teased.

Lochlan frowned, giving his sibling side eyes. “You really do need to stop visiting the Aboveground. These idioms of yours are outlandish, and no one cares for them but you.”

“Maybe if you do more than frighten and torment the poor humans, you might learn a thing or two,” Jareth retorted.

Lochlan openly scoffed. “Forget about the useless humans. About my news: it concerns a certain member of the Seelie Court...”

Silenced filled the room.

“Well. Get on with it,” Jareth said, pretending to not care.

“One of my spies informed me about this a few days ago, but I wanted to double check to insure he was correct…”

“Yes, and…” Jareth commanded, his eyes boring into his brother.  

“It seems as though the _Princess_ has returned,” Lochlan sneered.

Jareth slumped into his throne, slowly looking around the room while processing the information he just received. His head was spinning with endless questions and possibilities.

“How long ago did she return? Where is she? How did they find her? How did your spy find her?” Jareth probed. His words sounding more anxious and apprehensive with each question asked.

“She is said to have returned only a few days ago. My spy last saw her in the Seelie Castle being escorted to her chambers. I do not have knowledge of how the Court found her- only that the spy saw her,” Lochlan answered with amusement. “And my spy found her by spying, of course. Get a handle on yourself. Don’t be simple, Jareth.”

Jareth paced the throne room, back and forth, striding in front of Lochlan with his hands clasped behind his back, and muttering to himself in the native Goblin language.

“Stop speaking that bizarre language. It’s bad enough these creature speak it, and now you start with it.”

Jareth continued his pacing, ignoring his brother’s observations.

“You are going to wear a path in the floor, which is impressive, I must say, since it is made of stone.”

Still no response from Jareth, only long strides and muttering.

Lochlan unleashed an exasperated sigh and shook his head while gazing at the floor.

“All this concern, all this distressing, all this thought, over what? A woman who tossed you aside and by now has, at best, forgotten you, or worst, loathes you,” Lochlan said offhandedly.

Whether he meant to or not, Lochlan now had Jareth’s full attention.

One moment, Lochlan was lazily resting against the wall and the next, was pinned to the stone wall by an invisible force, his brother on him immediately, holding an iron dagger to Lochlan’s throat. Jareth’s mismatched eyes went solid black, just like Lochlan’s. Lochlan swallowed deeply, yet carefully. His brother really was too serious about trivial things.

“Hit a nerve, have I?” Lochlan croaked out while attempting to defuse the situation. At no point would he ever believe that his brother would take his life. They have been through too much together for such tirades. However, no one, not even King of the Unseelies, appreciates an iron knife to the throat.

Jareth grabbed Lochlan by the back of the head and brought him closer to speak directly into his ear.

“Speak of her in that way again,” Jareth hissed, “and you’ll wish I had slit your throat this day. Am I clear?” Jareth threw Lochlan’s head against the stone wall, causing a large crack to form in the wall.

Lochlan stumbled away from Jareth and grabbed his head in pain. Seeing the state of the wall, Lochlan checked the back of his head for blood and saw none.

“Crystal clear, dear brother,” Lochlan replied with a snicker. _Yes,_ Lochlan thought, _he’s much too serious._ “I’ve evidently worn out my welcome. I’ll leave you to your goblin thoughts.” And with a mocking low bow to his brother, who was sitting on his throne, Lochlan transformed to an osprey and flew out the window.

Jareth ignored him; he had too much to consider without having to listen to his brother’s nonsense anymore.

_Sarah had returned. Will she remember me? Does she remember anything?_

Nearly ten years had passed since Sarah said those dreadful words, banishing the Goblin King from her Aboveground life, and not a day passed where he did not wonder where she was. Having lost all ability to track Sarah, his only solace was knowing that one day she would return to the Underground.

It was about time Jareth obtain his own information rather than rely on his brother.

“Rasch!” Jareth yelled into the empty room.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jareth saw a miniature, green figure hurry into the room as it ran over to stand in front of the throne. 

Rasch was a small imp with green skin, severely pointed ears and a long tail that resembled that of a mouse. He was no more than six inches tall. He was hard to spot unless you were purposefully looking for him. _Perfect,_ Jareth thought.

Rasch stood before the throne, his large, orange eyes eager to please his king.

“Rasch, I have an important task for you.”


	5. Chapter 5

_When there are clouds in the sky  
You’ll get by_

* * *

 

In one of the Seelie Palace’s solariums, Sarah sat at a grand piano, dressed in a sleeveless, long, navy dress with a knee-high slit on the side.  Her long brown hair was set in a side ponytail resting on her right shoulder. She was playing George Frideric Handel’s The Harmonious Blacksmith, one of the first pieces she’d performed in front of an audience when she was in high school. The piano. Sarah thought it strange that she took to the instrument after she returned Aboveground from the Labyrinth. However, it seems that her little trip back to the Underground triggered her old habit of daily piano playing.

This particular room’s walls and ceiling were made of glass panels, each stained with a different shade of amber and gold.  The dark wood panels and ceiling beams always made the room feel darker than it was, even with the sun beaming. Regardless of what others had scheduled for her, Sarah always prioritized spending time in that room.

The Amber Room was her favorite place, besides her own chambers, to be alone as a child. Considering she was being treated just like the child she’d been when she left, Sarah’s natural inclination to spend as much time in the room as possible was to be expected. She was spending all her remaining time with Muiriol anyway. Apparently, as long as she stayed out of her parents’ way, she could be wherever she wanted. Sarah had been in the Underground for no more than five days, and the only time she saw the King and Queen was after her conversion. Some things never change.

* * *

 

_Odhran and Eòran escort Sarah from the small room following her conversion. Still holding on to her bag, Sarah’s regular attire of jeans and a t-shirt was starting to look a little bit worn. Sarah could really go for a bath right about now. Finnean trailed behind the trio, muttering in elfish about how late it was and how this whole process had caused him to miss his evening meal. Walking across long stretches of limestone flooring, they made their way to a pair of oversized, dark wood double doors, which were carved into likenesses of various creatures including faes, elves, and dwarves. Two fae guards flanked the doors with spears in hand and swords at their sides. The two faes facing the group bowed to Sarah and took hold of their respective handles and opened the doors. The opened doors led to an expansive white marble floored room. In the middle of the room, a raised dais held three thrones with two people, a man and a woman, sitting in two of the three chairs._

_In the center sat a husky, yet brawny, fae, with sandy blonde hair that came to his shoulders and olive skin. Across his head rested a solid silver circlet with ancient fae inscriptions engraved in it.  His deep brown eyes betrayed his youthful looks. Wearing a dark green tunic, dark brown trousers and boots, Oberon sat with an air of authority and pageantry that only a King of the Seelie Court could accomplish. To his left sat a lithe, pale woman with long, dark brown hair that reached the bottom of her back. Her green eyes cried spitefulness and self-importance. She was dressed in a long, one-shouldered, terracotta-colored gown with thick, copper bangles encircling her wrists. On top of her head rested a rose-gold circlet with a large opal that dropped to the center of her forehead. Titania was the epitome of vanity wrapped in a graceful guise._

_As though no time had passed at all, Sarah stepped forward and stopped before the dais. She lowered her head, placed her right foot behind her left, and bent her knees to curtsy before the king and queen. Slowly and as gracefully as possible, Sarah stood and looked to Oberon and then to Titania._

_“Still unable to keep your back straight, I see; still leaning forward. I should have known the Aboveground would have done nothing for your etiquette,” Titania said with contempt._

_“Such archaic acts are not considered useful anymore in the Aboveground,” Sarah said, trying to hide the mocking tone in her voice. There was a reason why Sarah gave up acting years ago._

_“Mind your tongue, child,” Oberon’s composed yet booming voice echoed across the hall._

_Everyone’s, especially Sarah’s, backs went straight as a rod._

_“It seems as though you have spent too much time away from the palace. Your manners and your attire are truly suffering,” Oberon stated while giving his daughter a quick look-over. Apparently, he was not a fan of the jeans and t-shirt look. “Finnean has assured me that your memory has returned. Is this correct?”_

_“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sarah replied._

_“Tomorrow, you begin as though this minor interlude had not occurred. Muiriol will continue with your lessons. And the royal seamstress will measure you for your new attire. Obviously, you have outgrown all the clothing in your chamber,” Titania stated._

_Sarah looked down at herself. Her mother was right about one thing: she definitely was different at twenty-five than she was at thirteen._

_“You’re dismissed,” Oberon said while waving dismissively._

_“Wait!” Sarah cried out._

_She could nearly feel the ice from the stares she received from both her parents._

_“I was told that I would be able to visit the Aboveground at some point. I left them a note, but I wasn’t told when I would be able to….”_

_“You will only be able to return once you have mastered the ability to transport yourself between worlds,” Oberon interrupted._

_“Master? I was never taught how to transport anywhere. No one ever taught me how to use my magic. How long will it take?” Sarah asked._

_Oberon and Titania both started to become visibly bristled by the borderline accusations they were receiving from their only child._

_“As long as it takes,” Titania stiffly retorted, “Again, you are dismissed.”_

* * *

 

So, here Sarah was, sitting at a piano playing an Aboveground musical piece that reminded her of her home. _My real home,_ she thought. Where she had parents who openly cared for her and had a sibling she adored. Instead, she was hiding out in the Amber Room until Muiriol’s inevitable interruption for Sarah’s lessons regarding various ballroom dancing, the names of new kingdom leaders, and proper curtsying.  Sarah had already decided earlier in the day that if she had to curtsy one more time, she would scream in Muiriol’s or any passerby’s face.

As she finished the musical piece, a green object in the corner of Sarah’s eye caught her attention. Pretending not to notice the entity, she closed the lid of the piano.

She quickly turned her head toward the little green thing.

“What are you doing?” Sarah asked, spotting the little thing before he knew he was exposed.

“ _Ah!”_ a small squeaking voice yelled out.  His large, orange eyes darted to either side of him, as he looked for a quick escape, but was frozen still by his own fear.

“I don’t think the palace employs imps. Titania finds them disturbing. So, who are you, and what are you doing here?” Sarah left the piano bench and crouched down in order to take a closer look at the imp.

“I thought imps had tails that ended with arrows or a sharp point,” Sarah wondered aloud. “Yours looks just like a little mouse tail.”

“I ain’t no mouse!” The imp protested, grabbing his tail in defense. “Some of us are different. That don’t make us worse.”

Sarah placed both her hands in the air, palms facing out in surrender.

“Calm down. I’m sorry if I upset you. I’ve just never seen a real imp, only read about you in books.”

The imp released his tail and calmed his breathing. Sarah sat back on her heels and placed her hands on her thighs.

“I’ll ask again,” Sarah carefully stated. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Er… um… agh…”

Sarah reached forward and gently grabbed him, catching him off guard.

“GAH! Put me down. Rasch don’t like to be picked up!” he proclaimed while trying to escape the fae woman’s grip. His eyes bugged out of his skull while his tiny claws scratched at the hand encasing him. Unfortunately for Rasch, his scratches had no effect on Sarah.

“So, your name is Rasch, is it? Hmm…German for rapid. Clever.”

Rasch let out an audible gulp.

“Let’s talk up here.” Sarah, still holding Rasch, got off her knees and sat back on the piano bench.

“All right, I’m going to place you on the piano, but you’re not going to run away. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Sarah opened her palm to place Rasch on the top of the piano. Rasch took two or three uncertain steps backward, unsure of what was happening.

“Okay. I now know that you are an imp named Rasch. I’m Sarah, by the way.” Sarah reached for the plate of scones and jam on the top of the piano. She broke off a piece of the scone, lathered it with some jam, and handed it to Rasch. He nervously reached for the offered food. Sniffing it carefully, Rasch proceeded to unceremoniously shove the food in his mouth in one bite, crumbs spilling out the sides.

“Hungry, I see. Have some more if you want,” Sarah offered.

With that open invitation, Rasch jumped on top of one of the scones and proceeded to bury his head in it, eating it from the inside out. Fully satiated and with a protruding stomach, Rasch sat at the edge of the piano facing Sarah.

“Still not going to tell me anything,” Sarah mused.

Rasch stood up straight and placed his tiny clawed hand over his chest. “I had promised to my master not to speak to no one and not to show myself to no one,” he said with all the seriousness that a tiny imp could muster.

Sarah let out a small chuckle. “Well, it seems to me that you have failed on both those counts.”

Poor Rasch, realizing the error of his ways, started to hyperventilate and sprint back and forth across the piano. Seeing such a small thing lose control made Sarah feel nervous for the unfortunate creature.

“I failed! I failed! My first mission and I failed! What am I going to do? What am I going to do?”

“Just stop moving.” Sarah placed her open palms on either side of Rasch to stop his movements.

“I’ll let you go on two conditions: Tell me if you’re a member of the Unseelie Court and what exactly is your mission.” Sarah calmly demanded.

“I’m no Unseelie! Not no more! My’s family kicked me out years ago. I wasn’t acting like no proper imp theys said,” Rasch explained with a tinge of sadness in his high-pitched voice. “I’s no work for them! And never will!”

 _Poor thing,_ Sarah thought.

“And your mission?”

“I’s supposed to see what’s going on here. We’s heard somethin’ big was a-happenin’ and I’m supposed to find out what,” Rasch said. “Tis you, isn’t it? I noticed they’s putting together a big party for a princess. Are you her?” Rasch looked at her with hopeful eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sarah said, waving a hand in the air nonchalantly. “It’s a ball, a type of welcome home soirée. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. Apparently, I’m just supposed to show up, smile, and look pretty.” Sarah sneered. “So, is that all you needed to know? Party details?”

“Yep!” Rasch squeaked out, nodding his head enthusiastically up and down. 

“Who sends a spy to the Seelie Palace to inquire about party details?” Sarah contemplated.

“That was Rasch’s job. See what’s going on.”

Odd that Sarah was talking to an admitted spy in the palace. She should not be talking to him. In fact, she should be calling for help. Yet, here she was conversing with a spy imp regarding party planning. How harmful could he be?

“Princess Sarah! Are you in the Amber Room again?” Muiriol’s strong brogue came echoing down the hall and through the room.

“Uh oh. You better go, Rasch. I’ve got company coming.”

Rasch jumped off the piano and hurried up the wooden panel leading to the large wooden beam on the ceiling. Sarah looked up and casually waved goodbye to Rasch.

“Goodbye, Rasch. Be careful and don’t get caught by anyone else. Others might not be so kind to a nosey imp. Take care of yourself.”

Rasch waved his tiny arm enthusiastically, while flashing a giant toothy smile at Sarah.

“Goodbye, Princess. I thank yous for your assistance.” Rasch scurried away through a tiny hole in the wall. Just then, Muiriol walked through the doorway and toward Sarah.

“Who ya talking to?” Muiriol inquired. Muiriol was a bulky, red headed woman who was faster than she looked, a fact a young Sarah had learned quickly.

When Sarah was around ten years old, she tried hiding from Muiriol in the stables in an attempt to weasel out of her Elvish language studies. Sarah dashed out of an empty horse stable when she saw Muiriol coming near. The next thing Sarah knew, her caretaker’s hand was wrapped around her arm, dragging her back inside to study. Sarah learned that day never to try to outrun Muiriol again.

“Nobody. I was just thinking out loud,” Sarah lied.

Muiriol looked at the plate of scones on the piano and the large crumbs scattered across the top. She gave Sarah a quizzical raise of her eyebrow.

“I can see you were hungry. Don’t know why ya had to make a mess of things. I’ll have someone come in to clean it up. Well, come on now. We should go to the one of the drawing rooms.”

Sarah let out an audible groan and slumped on the bench.

“Can I go to the stables instead? I’ve seen Daisy once since I’ve been back. You know she doesn’t like to be around anyone but me.” Sarah winced at her own words. Five days in this place had already turned her into a petulant child. But she could not help it sometimes. No one likes feeling like a caged bird. And that was exactly how Sarah had been treated these past few days.

And poor Daisy. Her Irish Draft horse had been very animated when she first laid eyes on Sarah.  A few gallops around the field and some fence jumping were all Sarah and Daisy had had together so far. The rest of Sarah’s time had been spent indoors.

“Sorry, my dear. We be spending the day indoors,” Muiriol answered.

“Will I finally begin my magic lessons?” Sarah questioned. Five days had passed, and she still was not taught how to use or control her magic. How was she supposed to transport herself to the Aboveground if she could not even make a simple crystal orb?  Every day she asked Muiriol, and every day she was told…

“Not today, my dear. That will come soon, but we have other things to attend to.”

_Please don’t let it be dancing. Please don’t let it be dancing. Please don’t let it be dancing._

“Don’t worry,” Muiriol chuckled. “There will be no dancin’ for you. Not even a history lesson on the Paso Doble.” Sarah slumped her shoulders in relief.

Two hours into the history of the Troll Kingdom, Sarah was starting to wish that she was dancing instead.

“Why do we keep going over this? I learned about the history of the various kingdoms in the Seelie Court years ago,” Sarah whined.

“Yes. However after all this time, ye are likely to have forgotten important things. And since the ball is in two days, we don’t want ya to embarrass yourself, do we?” Muiriol explained.

“If any gathering involves me talking to someone about how the Court forgets that the King of the Trolls is actually a Fae, I might throw up on myself,” Sarah deadpanned.

“I’ll have you know that the Faes of the Court find teasing the Troll King quite humorous,” Muiriol said. Sarah looked at Muiriol with disbelief.

_Oh god, maybe I can feign death and not go to the ball._

This ball was not the first ball, or even the first official court function, that she had ever attended, but before she left for the aboveground, she was deemed too young to participate. Therefore, she would normally sit quietly at the grand dining hall for official dinners and in her seat on the dais, where she would sit, all night, with only her thoughts to entertain her. Sarah never would have thought that one day she would wish for the days where she just sat in a chair instead of being expected to dance and speak with these dull, highbrow social climbers.

“Well, it’s nearly 3 o’clock. We should stop and head to your chambers. The seamstress said your gown should be ready by now.”

 _Thank goodness._ Sarah slumped back in the light blue, upholstered chair. No more trolls.

“And after the fitting, we will move on to the Kingdom of the Dwarves.”

_Noooo!_

 

* * *

 

When Rasch entered the main door to the throne room, the Goblin Court was underway. There was only one person left requesting an audience with the king. There was a young elf in dark blue robes standing to Jareth’s right. Jareth was sitting straight in his throne starring at the short, portly human in front of him.

“Your Majesty, I’ve come begging your assistance. Our village suffered a small fire…”

“If you are asking for assistance why did you not send a request, as procedure requires,” Jareth interrupted.

“Well, it’s just that it took out several businesses in town…”

“And why are you, a city councilman, coming to me rather than Governor Flavian”, Jareth interrupting again.

The man started wringing his hands and shuffling his feet. “Um, well there’s a very good reason for this, Sire…”

Jareth held up his hand to silence the man in front of him.

“Seven months on the job and still unable to conduct paper work,” Jareth muttered loudly to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Conwick!” Jareth bellowed.

The nervous looking elf to his left dropped his parchment and pen on the ground. After swiftly reaching down to pick up his dropped items, Cormac stood at full attention facing Jareth.

“It’s Cormac, sire,”

“Yes, yes,” Jareth waved flippantly. “Take Councilman Tammy…”

“Tomas, Your Majesty,” Cormac gulped out.

“Take Councilman Tomas to one of the meeting rooms, take an account of all damage done to the city of Tandel, and give him a quick run through of how government works here in the Goblin Kingdom. Court is dismissed!” Jareth yelled. Immediately, the court emptied of everyone, everyone but Rasch, who was still standing near the entrance.

Jareth walked toward the window and sat on the ledge. Conjuring a crystal, he looked out onto the expanse of his kingdom while rolling the orb back forth across his arms.

“Rasch. Back so soon? I suspected that you would be gone for a few days.”

Rasch sprinted toward Jareth, crawled up the side of the wall and came to a rest on the toe of Jareth’s boot. Rasch stood tall (as tall as an imp could) and saluted.

“I did my job good, Kingy, that’s what Rasch did,” squeaked the tiny being. Jareth attempted to hide his grin at the over-eagerness of his subject. Sometimes, he found it difficult to take such a small creature seriously.

“I did the egg spongey. And I come back with the information, I did,” Rasch explained.

Jareth lightly sighed. “Fine. What did you find out during your _espionage_ mission?”

“They’re throwing a party, a large one. They’s put up silk and candles all over the place. I sneaked into the kitchen. Lots of foods they got there. I tried to taste what they’s be making but I’s wasn’t going to gets caught. Nopes!”

Jareth conjured an apple and a knife and started slicing the fruit open. He offered a small piece to Rasch. “Did you find a reason for such a grand gala?”

Rasch shoved the entire apple wedge into his mouth, causing his mouth to stretch out twice its size. Regardless of his lack of mouth movement, Rasch still attempted to speak.

“The ball is for Princess Sarah. But she’s not happys about it at all…”

Jareth sat up straight and leaned forward.

“You spoke to her?” Jareth asked intensely.

Rasch was finally able to chew properly and swallow the apple. It was at this point that he realized that he just exposed his major error.

“Uh, well, I…”

Jareth reached out and grabbed Rasch around his middle, bringing him up to his eye level.

Jareth spoke slowly and clearly. “Did you see her? Did you speak to her?”

“Yes and Yes,” Rasch squeaked out.

“And what did she say?”

Rasch looked up while pondering his answer.

“She don’t want to goes dancing. Party for her but she no want to go. Rasch don’t understand that, but that’s what she said, she did.”

Jareth jumped off the window ledge and placed Rasch down with the half eaten apple. Rasch proceeded to shove the rest of the apple in his mouth.

Between chews, Rasch said, “She also gave me food. She nice lady.”

Jareth gave a small smile. “Of course she did,” he said.

“Is we going to the party, Kingy?” Rasch asked as he finally finished his apple.

“I am going, and it seems I have some planning to do,” Jareth said while walking out of the throne room, leaving Rasch alone as he attempted to swallow the apple whole.


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm bewildered, for we're strangers when we meet_

* * *

 

“Princess Sarah, stay put,” Muiriol said while she slowly circled the irritated woman in front of her.

“I’ve been standing put for the past three hours,” Sarah protested. “How long does it take to fit a dress that has already been fitted? We did this the other day.”

“This is your official court debut, my dear. The King and Queen will accept nothing but perfection,” chimed the Fae seamstress from below.

In the middle of her bedchamber, Sara stood atop a small pedestal with a seamstress at her feet sewing the hem of her dress.  The bedchamber was large, the walls and floors consisting of beige limestone. When entering the room, a large stained glass mural depicting various blooming flowers took up much of the left wall and provided the only sunlight during the day. In the middle of the room sat an immense bed with a quilted, padded headboard. The bedding was cream colored and above it hung a large, white crystal chandelier. To the right was the bathing room and closet. She still had her Aboveground clothing packed away in her bag, stowed away in the closet. If Sarah ever had time to herself, she would be able to wear her jeans instead of these damn dresses.

Wanting the seamstress to finish as soon as possible, Sarah stood tall in her ruby red sleeveless chiffon dress. The dress had a pleated bodice and a court length cape that flowed from the top of her back. Sarah’s hair was in a low chignon bun with loose tendrils on either side of her head. She felt like a perfect little China Doll being prepped for her box display. She also felt like taking a shot of tequila… or two.

_Hope there’s some Elf wine at this event._

“I need to sit down. My feet are killing me.” Sarah started shifting from foot to foot, attempting to relieve the pain.

“All right. All right. I am finished,” proclaimed the seamstress while gathering her sewing items from off the floor.

Sarah gathered the train of her dress, stepped off the platform and made her way toward her vanity.

“Let me do yer face for ya, Sarah,” Muiriol said.

“I’m fine. I can do it myself, thanks.” Sarah stared into the mirror and started to apply her makeup.

The idea of having a ball thrown for Sarah would have thrilled her Aboveground teenage self. Friends and important dignitaries all gathering for her would have been a dream. Unfortunately for the adult Sarah, her only friend was Daisy. And most do not take kindly to horses indoors. Goodness knows that the horse was probably a better conversationalist.

“Finished,” Sarah announced after putting on the last of her lipstick.

“Good. We can take ya down to the grand hall and present ya to the King and Queen and the rest of the Kingdom.”

“Fantastic. Just add this night to my list of reasons to die,” Sarah teased.

“Don’t you go saying stuff like that,” Muiriol chastised. “That kind of attitude won’t get ya nowhere. Speak like that and all the princes and dukes will stay far away from ya.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sarah said while carefully stepping into her low heeled slippers.

“Sarah!” Muiriol chastised. Sarah let out an unladylike snort.

“I’ll play along as long as everyone else doesn’t bore me to tears,” Sarah muttered. Fortunately for Sarah, Muiriol did not hear what she said.

Muiriol walked over to the door to open it for Sarah. “Remember what yer supposed to do, yes?”

Sarah sauntered passed Muiriol, through the door, and down the hall toward the ball. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sarah yelled back while giving a thumbs-up. “Be the living doll they want me to be. Got it covered. Make sure I don’t spill any drinks on myself.”

Muiriol rushed to catch up with her. _Oh no,_ Muiriol thought.

The giant, dark wood doors loomed in front of Sarah. She could hear talking and merriment inside so loud that it was overtaking the string music. Muiriol stood behind Sarah, messing with her hair.

Sarah turned around to bat Muiriol’s hand away. “Would you quit that? I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” Sarah tried to calm herself down as much as Muiriol. She may not care about any of these people, but no one wants to look the fool.

Muiriol walked to the door and the guards opened it enough to allow her to slip through. A few moments later, loud trumpets from inside the hall sounded, and the doors opened. The bright lights from inside nearly blinded Sarah as she started to walk through the doors. She stood at the threshold of the door at the top of a grand staircase as she heard the Court Herald announce her entrance.

“In the name of the King Oberon and Queen Titania, I am honored to announce the return of the heir to the Seelie throne, Her Royal Highness, Princess Sarah of the Faes.”

The room erupted into applause and chatter, and if Sarah’s mind was not playing tricks on her, some scornful whispers could be heard as well. Ignoring all around her, Sarah carefully walked down the steps toward the two seated royals at the other end of the hall. The leering nobles reminded Sarah of a few walk of shame experiences from college. Regrettably for her now, no pleasure took place before this walk down the aisle.

The ballroom was a massive room that was longer than it was wide. The left side of the room was lined with two-tiered windows that enhanced the impression of grandness and size while the areas between the windows were covered with gilded mirrors. The ceiling was elaborately painted, and the inlaid white marble floor was magnificent. Each of the numerous gilded carvings that covered the walls was a masterpiece in itself.

When she approached the base of the dais, Sarah stopped, breathed deeply, and curtseyed so well the Queen of Hearts would be proud. _I’d rather eat dirt than take more curtseying classes._

“Rise, child,” Oberon’s voice boomed throughout the hall.

 _Child? Child? God dammit, I’m not a child!_ Sarah’s hackles began to rise as her body straightened. Breathing deeply through her nose (her yoga instructor would be so proud), Sarah gained her composure and ignored the egotism coming from her father and the obliviousness of her mother.

 “Take your rightful seat by our side,” Oberon stated while gesturing to the smaller throne to his right.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It will be my honor to serve the Seelie Court now and in the future,” Sarah carefully stated, making certain that she remembered the proper words to say. As she walked up the dais and sat in her chair, the music once again filled the hall. She looked out into the crowd, seeing people drinking, talking, and dancing. Sarah inwardly groaned. _I should give these people a chance. It’s not really fair to judge everyone before meeting them._

Her new-ish change of heart still did not stop the mild slump that her back started to form. _I need that drink._ As though someone read her mind, a fae servant presented a tray of a bubbly drink in flute glasses. As though she found water in the desert, Sarah seized a glass, gulped down the drink as gracefully as one could gulp down anything, and placed the empty glass on the tray. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a disapproving look from both her parents. Having the good sense to look ashamed, Sarah reached for another glass while thanking the servant, this time only sipping the drink like the lady she was trained to be. _I wonder if they have stronger drinks around here._

Just as Sarah was planning her escape in search of the land of hard liquor, a tall, dark haired fae approached the dais and bowed before Oberon. Dressed in black trousers, shiny black boots, and a tailored black jack over a white, high collared shirt, he presented an air of superiority and overconfidence that had Sarah craving for an escape. In the opposite direction. Away from him.

“Your Majesties,” he said during his sweeping bow. “Your Highness,” he said, staring at Sarah with an off-putting smile that caused her to internally squirm.

“Ah, Sarah. This is Prince Kieran of the Elf Kingdom. You remember him, do you not?” Queen Titania said.

Ah yes. Prince Kieran. He was firstborn son of Aiden, King of the Elves. Although all of the kingdoms under the Seelie Court pledged fealty to King Oberon, the ruler of the Elven Kingdom shared a strong bond with Oberon that other rulers could not match. As for Sarah, she did not remember many interactions with other children when she was younger. Nevertheless, she would always remember anyone who purposefully tripped her in the hallway behind the throne when she was ten. _That jerk. What does he want? And why is he smiling like that?_

“Of course, I remember you, Prince Kieran. Hope you are enjoying yourself this evening,” Sarah said, trying her best to be courteous.

“I came to ask Princess Sarah for a dance, if you don’t mind,” Kieran said, looking to Oberon and then to Sarah.

“Yes. I would love a dance,” Sarah lied. What she would actually love to do is to leave the dais and the room entirely. One out of two was good enough for her. Kieran escorted Sarah to the middle of the dance floor as the throngs of fellow dancers parted to allow the couple to pass.

Sarah did not spend much time with other royal faes her age. However, she recalled Kieran when she was younger. The snobbish heir apparent walked around the Seelie Palace as though it was his. Bossing around the staff and poking fun at the brownies, Kieran made sure that all his visits where memorable. One day, Sarah was playing in the garden with Kieran and the Duke of Vargar, the nephew of the King of the Dwarves. Kieran thought it hilarious when he caused Sarah to fall into a mud puddle and proceeded to dump a pile of leaves on her, through the use of magic. Needless to say, Sarah did not harbor much affection for the Crown Prince.

As the musicians began a new song, Kieran placed his right hand on Sarah’s back and took hold of her right hand as they both fell into a waltz. _Don’t. Step. On. Feet._ Sarah’s mind kept playing the mantra over and over in her head to prevent embarrassing herself or her dance partner.

“How many years has it been, Sarah? You look particularly enchanting,” Kieran said, breaking Sarah’s inner incantation.

“Uh, it’s been about twelve years, I guess. Almost thirteen. You look nice yourself,” Sarah countered. She never was good at small talk, and no amount of training could save her. And why must people talk and dance at the same time? She looked up to see him staring at her with a look in his eyes that set her in a state of discomfort.

Holding Sarah a bit closer than she liked, Kieran leaned in to whisper in her ear, “We do make a striking couple, don’t we?” Kieran continued to lead them across the dance floor.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sarah countered.

“I think we are going to have a lot of fun together, you and me,” he purred. Kieran moved his mouth closer to her ear and nipped the small of her neck.

“Hey!” Sarah exclaimed as she attempted to release herself from his grasp. Lucky for Sarah that the music, coupled with the chatter, allowed her outcry to go unnoticed. Bad news was that Kieran had a solid grip, and he had no intentions of letting her go.

“What the hell was that for?” Sarah demanded while still trying to inconspicuously twist her way out of this dance from Hades. Looking around her she noticed her father, sitting on the throne, giving her a stern look. _How could this be my fault?_

Kieran seem to laugh Sarah off. “Don’t act demure, Sarah. That type of posturing is for the older generation.”

“I’m not acting demure. You bit me, you ass clown. Now, let me go,” she hissed.

Kieran’s grip became tighter around Sarah’s waist. The need to kick him in the balls and her training to not make a scene were warring in her mind. She stopped struggling, if only because she did not want a bruise to form around her abdomen.

“Such language, Sarah. Must be a negative trait you learn from the humans. Abhorrent species, those are. I could teach you how to use that mouth of yours better. I will make you a very happy woman,” Keiran droned on.

“First, the one way you could make me happy is not to speak ill of humans. And second, don’t speak in future tense. It makes you more obnoxious than your outfit ever could,” Sarah countered.

Kieran laughed as though she said the best joke of the night.

“We certainly won’t be bored of each other, will we?” he said with the biggest smirk he could give.

“Again with the future tense,” Sarah said in an exasperated tone. “You know, if you are this dense when it comes to hearing, I fear for the future of the Elves.”

Sarah had to come up with a way to get away from this stubborn, leering fae… and quick.

Just as the music mercifully came to an end, that terrible feeling of forgetfulness, that feeling that she has not experienced since she came back to the Underground, returned and engulfed Sarah’s mind. 

“Excuse me for interrupting this odd dance, but may I cut in?” asked a voice from behind Sarah.

 _Oh thank god someone noticed this insanity._ Sarah thought as she sighed in relief. _Wait a minute._ Her body became rigid, fearful to even turn her head to face the person behind. _Is that… It can’t be! What is he doing here?_

Panic. All she felt was panic. Sarah was barely handling Kieran. Jareth was too much now.

“Ah. If it isn’t the Goblin King,” Kieran said, not trying to hide the disgust in his tone.

“Last time I checked, I had a given name. You would do well to call me by it,” Jareth sneered.

“I’m truly shocked that you were invited to such a magnificent event. Seems the Court would have better taste,” Kieran taunted.

“I did not come here to speak words with an arrogant boor such as you. I am here to request a dance from the Princess,” Jareth spat, making it clear that he wanted no more to do with the prince.

Kieran’s hands now encircled Sarah’s arms as he brought her against his chest. “No one, the Princess included, wants to dance with you, let alone be seen with someone of your ilk. I suggest you find a servant to spend your time with.”

Sarah was outraged yet confused. No way was this fool going to tell her what she can and cannot do. But dance with Jareth? Why did this have to happen now? She could continue to dance with Kieran and find out what other body parts he would start biting. Or, she could dance with Jareth, which, frankly, she had already done before. Disgust for Kieran overruled any fear she had regarding Jareth.

_Better the devil you know, right?_

Sarah not so nicely pushed away from Kieran and turned to face Jareth for the first time in nearly a decade. Dressed in black trousers, black boots, black leather gloves, a white ruffled shirt, and a high collared, three-quarter length jacket of the deepest purple, Jareth, Sarah had to admit, looked smashing.

“I am able to make my own decisions, Elf Prince,” Sarah said looking over her shoulder at the affronted Prince. “Thank you for your concern, but I am able to take care of myself.” _I hope._

Jareth gave Kieran a self-satisfying smirk as he offered his arm to Sarah. Sarah looped her arm through his and pulled him to the other side of the ballroom, as far as she could get from that fae, much to Jareth’s delight.

Jareth had stood off to the side of the ballroom since the beginning of the evening’s events. He had never been one to sneak into another kingdom, but there was a first time for everything. And nothing was going to stop him from seeing Sarah during her first Court appearance. As she walked through the main doors, two things were readily apparent to him. First: the years had done Sarah well. Gone was her teenage awkward non-assurance and youthful anxiety. Although she maintained many of her human traits, she was still a sight to behold that caused Jareth to hold his breath as she made her way to the dias. And second: the royal protocol which masked the unhappiness that was in her eyes did not fool him. Regardless of how well she could hide her true feelings to every royal puppet in this room, she could never fool him.

As the music started, reality hit Sarah as she fully comprehended the fact that she was now dancing with her one time rival. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“Miss me, Sarah? Still lovely as ever, even in your fae form,” Jareth smirked as they started dancing. “I’m sure most here envy your smooth ears.”

She was in no mood for any more games. “Listen, that idiot is a creep, and you helped me out a lot back there. But, that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own issues, and don’t act like everything is okay because it’s not.”

Jareth breathed a heavy sigh. Sarah saw a look of disappointment in his eyes. “Sarah, I appreciate that you would be upset with your trip through the Labyrinth, but I thought that you would be more understanding with our past history…”

“Past history? I don’t know why you would think an eleven hour stroll through an ever-changing maze would qualify as ‘past history’. But I guess I should be happy that you haven’t taken me and thrown me into that trash heap or the bog, which I nearly fell into,” Sarah said pointedly. “That wasn’t nice by the way.”

Jareth brought them both to a stop while the music played and others danced around them. Jareth did not speak. Instead, he took Sarah by the chin to stare into her eyes, searching.

“Looking for something? I doubt you find it on my face. I scrubbed it thoroughly before I came here,” Sarah said while swatting Jareth’s hand away.

Jareth gave Sarah a small grin. “Still have that charming wit of yours, I see,” Jareth taunted.  Sarah rolled her eyes, already preparing a comeback in her head. “That tells me they didn’t alter too much of your memory,” Jareth said. That stopped Sarah in her cynical tracks.

“My memory… what now?” Sarah questioned.

Jareth looked passed Sarah’s shoulders and noticed Oberon, flanked by two guards, walking toward the pair.

“Have you forgotten, Sarah? Things are not always what they seem,” he leaned in close to mumbled in her ear.

Sarah looked up at Jareth with a questioning look. Observing his distraction, she turned to notice that not only was her father standing directly behind her, but also that the dancing and music had come to a complete halt. _Oh this can’t be good._

“King Jareth,” Oberon said. “You know, usually when I tell others that I am surprised to see them it is purely fiction, but with you, I must say I am truly surprised to see you.”

“And how dull would the world certainly be if there were no surprises?” Jareth answered.

“For many reasons, I am surprised. One of the reasons is that you were not invited. You seem to have a knack for attending events you are not welcomed to. How you found out about this event is something worth finding out,” Oberon said while sternly looking at his advisor standing to the side of the guard. Oberon was in no mood to deal with the Goblin King. Granted, he was never in the mood for Jareth.

“Oberon, you should know me by now. I always find things out. I’m just curious that way, fae nature and all.”

“Nevertheless, knowing about something and acting on said knowledge are two different things. I believe it is time you should be leaving.” The guards that were flanking Oberon moved toward Jareth and stood on either side of him. 

“This gala is for Sarah, is it not? I think she should be the one to decide whether or not I am allowed to stay,” Jareth said, turning to face Sarah. “Sarah?”

Sarah’s anxiety started to rise. She hated to be placed on the spot. This situation was heading south fast. Was Jareth about to be escorted out in front of the entire Seelie Court? How embarrassing would that be for anyone? Wait… does Jareth get embarrassed? But why should she care? Jareth was the one talking nonsense about memories and acting weird as though they were friends. The king had obviously lost his mind. For years, Sarah had wanted to find some sort of closure with the Goblin King, f0r her questions to be answered. But with the glares from her parents and the eyes of every member of Court set upon her, now was not the time. Feeling disconcerted and queasy with what was transpiring, she took a deep breath and, not looking anyone in the eye, she muttered, “I think you should leave, Jareth. It’s for the best not to cause a scene. Umm… a bigger scene.”

Even while saying those words, she did not believe them. And from the look on Jareth’s face, neither could he. With a look of stern disappointment, Jareth turned from Sarah to Oberon to give a low, insincere bow to the King of the Faes. Without so much as a word, Jareth turned to walk out the main doors while Sarah watched with a feeling of regret.

“Thank the gods that miscreant is gone,” came the ever annoying voice behind her. Sarah’s feeling of shame was quickly replaced with revulsion.

“What do you want, Kieran?” Sarah no longer cared if she came across like the princess she was born and groomed to be.

“A dance,” he said while pointing up into the air at the exact same time as the music began again.

 _Nope. No more of that foolishness. Dancing only leads to chaos in this world._ “I don’t feel like dancing. I do however feel like a drink.”

“Let me have the honor of getting that for you,” Kieran said while walking toward one of the servers. Sarah did not expect him go get her a drink, but she took the opportunity to walk in the other direction. Snatching a flute from a server’s tray, she used the commotion of Jareth’s removal as well as the loud music to slip by the revelers and out the side door. Taking large gulps of her drink, she walked down the hallway and tried to remember where the closest balcony was located; fresh air was much needed at this time. She hardly spent that much time in this part of the castle. However, getting lost sounded like a good idea to Sarah right now.

After walking down several corridors, Sarah came to a stop. She slumped against the wall and dropped her head in defeat, letting all the night’s confusion and frustration wash through her body. “I can’t even find a damn balcony. Everything is hopeless,” Sarah loudly bemoaned.

“And still so hyperbolic,” came an ethereal voice that floated in the air. Just as Sarah’s head darted up at the sound, her chest and waist were encircled by a pair of arms as she was pulled into the wall. Terrified, Sarah struggled in her assailant’s arms, throwing her head back and kicking her legs in the air, but the strong grip kept her more or less in place.

“And feisty,” said the male voice ground out, himself struggling to contain the wild royal in his arms.

Sarah immediately stopped struggling. “Jareth? What are you doing? Let me go!” She hissed.

“Stop yelling and promise you won’t turn your aggression on me, and I’ll let you lose,” Jareth struggled to say. Sarah was wearing him out fast and not in a way he preferred. Sarah stopped her thrashing. Breathing heavily, she considered his proposition.

“Fine. Whatever. Just let me go,” Sarah said frantically. As soon as his arms loosened, Sarah leapt forward and turned toward Jareth. Her hair became loose during her struggle. She yanked the pins out of her hair, causing a cascade of hair to fall over her face.

“What the hell was that all about?” Sarah demanded, running her hands through her hair.

Looking around, she realized that they were out on a balcony. She saw the silent night sky, alight with the stars and nothing but an orchestra of chirping bugs below as background noise. She noticed the area where she was pulled through. Where the doors should have been was just a limestone wall.

“And how are we out on the balcony? And why is there no door?”

“Forgot you’re in a place of magic, Sarah? Concealment is one of the easier tricks. Why your father doesn’t think well enough to block the use of other’s magic in his realm is beyond me. Insufferable, arrogant man. Always believes that he is untouchable,” Jareth paced back and forth while he ranted.

“Is there a reason why you dragged me out here?” She said.

“You did want to find a balcony, correct?” Jareth answered.

“I could punch you. I would have found it if you hadn’t concealed it. Making me think I’ve gone mad, which is your fault, by the way,” Sarah accused.  Jareth looked at Sarah with a genuine smile on his face. Sarah froze for a brief second. Did she ever see him with a true smile? The gesture briefly caught her off guard and an unexpected feeling flowed through her. _Get a hold of yourself, Sarah._

Sarah walked up to Jareth with her hands on her hips, trying to convey that she was not finding this amusing.

“What’s so funny? Are you laughing at me?”

“You were always most humorous whenever you felt most indignant.”

“Stop that! Stop acting like we are friends. At what point in our encounter did we become friends? I made a dumb wish, ran the maze, and won back Toby.” Sarah ceased speaking. It was the first time since her initial arrival that she said the name of anyone from the Aboverground. She thought of them daily, continually dreaming of the day she could make it back to see them, but she never dared to say their names out loud. Much to her horror, tears began to form in her eyes.

“Shit,” she said as she backed away from Jareth and wiped her eyes.

A look of sincere concern came across Jareth’s face, another look that took Sarah aback.

“Sarah, what happened?” Jareth asked softly.

 _None of your damn business,_ she nearly spat out. But something stopped her. Maybe it was the look in Jareth’s eyes or the booze in her system. More likely what stopped her was the fact that no one had ever asked her about anything since she’d been in the palace: not how her day was, how she was feeling, or even what she wanted to do with her days.

Sarah slumped her shoulders and sighed in resignation. “What do you mean by ‘what happened?’”

“You’re not the same as before…”

“What before? You knew me for 11 hours,” Sarah interrupted.

Jareth started pacing back and forth across the balcony mumbling in…

“Goblin? Are you speaking Goblin?” Sarah inquired.

Jareth stopped in his tracks, turned toward Sarah, and gave her another smile, which made her smile, even if it was a nervous smile.

“I didn’t realize how good of an ear you had. Most aren’t able to recognize it or at least don’t care too.”

“So, what are you muttering about?” Sarah diverted, not knowing what to do with that compliment.

“You asked why I act as though we were friends. I act that way because we are, or at least were at one point,” Jareth claimed.

Sarah scoffed. “Do you get this attached to all those who run your maze? Or do you just have a distorted sense of what a friend is?”

Jareth marched toward Sarah and backed her against the wall. His eyes flashed with anger and something else she did not have enough time to decipher. She could have sworn that his eyes went black for a moment. He dipped his head to whisper into her ear, “I don’t take kindly to insults. Be grateful that I care about you more than others, and I want to help you.” Blood rushed to Sarah’s face, and her legs started to lose their balance.

Sarah pushed against Jareth in order to give herself some space, brushing Jareth off as though he had no effect on her. “Help me how?” Sarah asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Help you get your memory back,” Jareth said, placing his hands on either side of her head. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, trying to show him that she was not intimidated by him or his nearness. 

“I already got it back. Bright light, terrible pain, all of it. You’re five days late, Goblin King,” she answered.

“Don’t call me that!” he shouted. Sarah’s eyes went wide and her back straight. Evidently, she’d hit a nerve. Attempting to calm himself down, Jareth let out a puff of air and shook his head.

“They messed with your memories somehow, Sarah. I don’t know how, but they erased me from your memories,” Jareth explained.

“Those around me may be aggravating and self-centered, but why would they mess with my memories. And, why my memories of you?” Sarah asked.

“What better way to have you isolated more than to have you believe that you were always isolated?” Jareth countered.

“Why erase you when they could have made me think that my parents were caring or that I loved being trapped indoors all day? I might be easier to deal with if they did that.”

“I don’t know. Well, I have my suspicions. I have no real knowledge of the magic or spell used to send you Aboveground as a human. However, I do know about changeling magic and how magic affects faes and humans. To distort the reality of a fae is nearly impossible…”

“But humans have simple minds. Yes, I know. The High Seer told me.” Sarah said

“Do you always interrupt others?” Jareth asked. Sarah could not help but chuckle. She found irritating Jareth much more fun when she was not trying to save her brother.

“What I was trying to tell you was, that because a fae mind is more powerful than human, it is nearly impossible to alter a fae memory to think something has happened when it hasn’t, which is why they made you human. But to _eliminate_ a memory, however, that takes strong magic, but it can be done. It’s also bloody illegal,” Jareth said and punched the wall next to Sarah’s head.

Sarah jumped and let out a small yelp. Jareth backed away slowly, his right hand covering his mouth.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. But, I wonder why you are not as upset as I am about this.”

Sarah walked away from the wall and tried to describe her thoughts as succinctly as possible. An upset Jareth was an easily unhinged Jareth. “What do you want me to say? You say a portion of my memories were taken. If you are right about this, how am I to be upset about something that I have no knowledge of? And if you are lying to me, well, then I have no use for your lies, do I?”

“I would not lie to you,” Jareth stated earnestly. Sarah started to laugh.

“Don’t,” Jareth raised a finger in protest. “I may manipulate. I may heavily influence. But, I don’t lie. If you thought it through, even you would have to admit that.”

_Ugh. He’s right. Bastard._

Sarah sat on the edge of the stone balcony railing. “So, what do you want to do? Schedule a weekly tea time with you? Make new memories? Have it be like the old times? Whatever that was, because I don’t remember any of it.”

As Sarah was speaking, Jareth took his right hand and placed it to his temple. Closing his eyes, he muttered an incantation as he pulled a bright white, string-like object from the side of his head. When Sarah stopped speaking, she took notice of what he was doing. He held his right hand off to his side. The now elongated string swirled slightly above his hand and formed a ball that turned into a pale yellow crystal the size of a baseball.

“What’s that?” Sarah wondered aloud.

“A crystal holding a copy of my memories, specifically, all my memories of and with you,” Jareth explained. “With this, you will be able to have the memories that were taken away from you.” 

Sarah walked up to Jareth and stared at the crystal he held out to her. “Won’t they be from your perspective? That’s a bit weird. And how do I know you aren’t giving me fake memories?”

“Fae mind, remember? Even if I were to try to falsely alter your mind, which I wouldn’t, they won’t last long in your memory. No longer than a day would the memories last in your head before they fade away and are forgotten forever.”

Sarah stared a Jareth for what felt like eternity to him. 

“No way,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “What if this is a trick?”

“What reason do I have to trick you?”

Sarah was about to open her mouth when Jareth interrupted her.

“And don’t say revenge. You insult me with such a petty accusation.”

Sarah thinned her lips, looking back and forth between the crystal and Jareth. Seeing her hesitation, Jareth had to think quickly lest she turn him away again. She may not remember him, but he remembered exactly how to goad her.

“Come now, Sarah. Have you been completely domesticated by the Aboveground and the Court? How sad it is to see your sense of adventure gone. Next thing you know, you’ll be eagerly chatting to your ladies-in-waiting about the new china you received from the Elf Kingdom, and how spectacular it will look for your daily afternoon tea,” Jareth said with disdain.

Sarah’s head snapped to attention, her eyes narrowed as they bored into Jareth’s.

 _There we go,_ Jareth thought.

Without saying a word, Sarah snatched the crystal from his hand. Instantaneously, a bright light wrapped around Sarah as searing pain coursed through her body… again. Sarah passed out and nearly fell to the ground, but she was caught by Jareth who gently led them both to the ground. Cradling Sarah in his arms, Jareth sat on the ground while caressing her hair.

“Oh, Precious, I am so sorry.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

_Open my eyes, it was only just a dream_

* * *

 

_Nearly twenty-five years ago, King Oberon and his consort, Queen Titania, welcomed their first and only child, a daughter named Sarah. Throughout the Seelie Court, a holiday was declared, and the royalty and nobility of the Court paid homage to the heir to the throne by presenting the King and Queen with various gifts and offerings. Oberon and Titania stood on the dais in the throne room, flanking the bassinet that held their child, in order to greet their guest. The first to walk up toward the dais, the King of the Elves offered a various collection of fine china. Next, the King of the Dwarves presented the child with a vast assembly of silver bowls, jewelry, and tableware. The King of the Centaurs brought large barrels of wine and fine military armor. Several hours passed as dignitaries across the land came forward to give their King and Queen well wishes._

_The room went silent in anticipation of Oberon bringing the gathering to a close. Just as he opened his mouth, the loud sound of heeled boots clicked on the floor. The standing crowd made way for a wild-haired fae who sauntered toward the dais. The fae finally made his way to the base of the dais. He was not followed by courtiers carrying numerous gifts. In fact, it looked as though he had no gift at all._

_“Goblin King, what a surprise to see you here. And here I always thought such formalities bored you,” Oberon said, looking down to Jareth._

_Jareth was dressed in black boots, grey trousers, and a white ruffled shirt with black gloves. Compared to those around him, he was woefully underdressed. But then, Jareth never was into the silk, embellished, and bulky robe look._

_“Formalities, as well as everyone else here, indeed bore me, but even I could not deny the historic event that has taken place. The Seelie Court finally has an heir. After much trying, I’m sure,” Jareth intoned with a smirk and a sideways glance. The room began to swell with murmurs. Titania’s face flared red with irritation._

_“I see you have come empty-handed and with no courtiers with you,” Titania stated, withholding her anger. “Have you entered our Court to seek the attention you always seem to crave? If so, I must inform you that the position is filled; we already have a court jester.”_

_Jareth seemed unaffected by her words. “I know this may shock you,” Jareth said while walking up the dais. “But, unlike all the other dolts here, I did not come here for you. I came for the child.” Jareth raised his hand, and, with a flick of his wrist, he created a crystal that started to roll back and forth across the back of his hands._

_“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Goblin King, but we already know how to make crystals,” Oberon joked._

_Jareth’s hands stopped rolling the crystal and scowled at Oberon._ _“I don’t know why you seem to be allergic to my name, but I would appreciate it if you would not use my title as though it were a curse.”_

_Ignoring the two monarch’s glares, Jareth stepped forward to the bassinet and looked at the wide-eyed child lying inside. Bringing the crystal to the babe’s face, Jareth allowed the child to reach for the orb before tugging it out of reach. The raven-haired girl let out a little giggle, causing Jareth to smile. The orb he was holding transformed into a golden teddy bear with a red bow. He placed the toy in the cradle with the child. The babe instantly grabbed the bear and held it close._

_“A toy? Really? The great and terrible King of the Goblins presents the future ruler of the Seelie Court with a stuffed bear?” Titania scoffed._

_Refusing to acknowledge the Queen’s words, Jareth continued to look at the babe. Jareth reached out toward the child and gently stroked the wisps of baby hair on her head._

_“May the gods look down on you in favor, child,” Jareth then looked at the royal pair with scorn. “Fates know that your parents won’t.” With that final proclamation, Jareth turned on his heels and marched out the door, leaving two livid monarchs and a befuddled Court behind him._

* * *

  _A frustrated Jareth burst through a large set of wooden doors. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he turned to walk down the hallway. Not seeing where he was going, he ran into a small body, or maybe, that body ran into him._

_“AH!” yelled the small voice below him. Jareth looked down and saw a small, dark haired girl lying on the ground, her hand clutching a plush animal._

_“Not watching where we are going, are we?” Jareth said as he knelt down to the floor._

_“My apologies, sir… um… Your Highness?” questioned the girl as she attempted to rise to her feet. “Excuse me, but who are you?” The girl finally rose to her full height, which allowed her to look Jareth in the eye while he kneeled. He let out a light chuckle._

_“My dear, I am Jareth, King of the Goblins.”_

_“King?” She exclaimed, and quickly backed away from the fae king while clumsily attempting a curtsy. Her crumpled red dress nearly caused her to fall again as she held out her skirt for a proper bow._

_“Your Majesty,” she drawled out. Jareth smirked at the spectacle the little girl displayed._

_“Come now,” Jareth said, grabbing the dropped toy as he stood up. “None of that. So much pageantry for someone so young. Now, what is your name?” he asked, even though he knew the answer._

_She stood up straight from her curtsy. “My name is Sarah, Princess of the Fae and the heir apparent to the Seelie Court. I’m four years old. Such pageantry is to be expected of me. At least, that’s what I am told.” The young girl studied the fae king’s face as though attempting to memorize him._

_“You say you are a king? The King of the elves and the dwarves are frequent guests here. Even the Troll and Centaur kings visits every fortnight or so. I’ve never seen you here before?”_

_“The type of business I do with the Court usually does not allow for frequent visits, thankfully,” he said._

_"What business is that?” Sarah asked._

_"You are a nosey thing, aren’t you?” Jareth teased._

_She looked at his hand which was still holding her toy. She held her right hand out and asked, “May I have my bear back, please?”_

_Jareth inspected the toy bear in his hand as though he considered not giving it back._

_"I’ll return your bear, but only if you tell me his name.”_

_Sarah’s face lit up immediately. “His name is Lancelot. I named him after a human story told by my governess.”_

_"Lancelot?” Jareth inquired, raising an eyebrow. “King Arthur's greatest knight whose love affair with the Queen brings about the end of Arthur's rule? That Lancelot?”_

_Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “I liked the name,” she deadpanned._

_Jareth threw his head back to let out a large laugh that filled the hallway causing Sarah to look at the double doors nervously._

_"Shhh! Why do you laugh so loud? What’s so funny?” Sarah demanded._

_"Are you certain you’re four? A little brazen aren’t you?” Jareth handed the bear to the girl and straightened his gloves._

_“Why did you ask his name? No one ever asks his name.”_

_Jareth gave the girl a small smile. “Do you know who gave you that bear, Sarah?”_

_She shook her head, clutching the bear closer to her. “My governess said it was gift, but I don’t know from whom. He’s the only toy I have. Mother and Father do not like me having toys. They say they are useless things.”_

_"Well, then, you are welcome.” Jareth crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a self-satisfied smile._

_“Welcome? He’s from you?” Sarah’s eyes grew large. “You gave me Lancelot?” Sarah considered the toy bear in her hands as though it were a relic. She looked up at Jareth, walked toward him, and hugged him around the waist the best she could._

_“Princess?” Jareth asked with concern in his voice._

_“Thank you,” she said, not letting go. “You gave me my only friend.”_

_Jareth’s heart broke as he returned the child’s affection._

_A loud brogue echoed down the hallway. “Sarah! Princess Sarah!”_

_“That’s Muiriol,” Sarah sheepishly explained. “I might have escaped my lessons. And my governess might be looking for me.” Sarah slowly backed away from Jareth and the origin of the yelling._

_“And causing trouble at such a young age?”_

_Sarah looked toward the double doors and whispered, “Not my fault that the lessons are boring. I wanted a break. So, I took one.”_

_"Sarah! Where are ya, child?” The booming voice was getting closer._

_“Sounds like you better move along if you wish to keep your freedom,” Jareth said._

_“Yeah,” Sarah said as she moved slowly backward. “Nice to meet you Goblin King. Hope to see you soon.” She turned to run down the hall. Taking the first turn to the left, she soon fell out of sigh._

_“What a precocious thing she is,” Jareth said as he walked away._

_“Don’t be foolish, Oberon. You know you shouldn’t make threats that you have no intention in keeping,” Jareth stated, sitting in the chair opposite the King of the Faes._

_“Rest assured, these are not empty threats, Jareth. Tell the Unseelie Court to stand down, or I will not hesitate to march troops on your kingdom,” Oberon threatened._

_Jareth let out a small chuckle and opened his arms in a mock surrender. “What makes you think I have any hold over the Unseelies? If I step foot in one of their forests, a draug would not hesitate to rip me to shreds.”_

_Oberon slammed his fist on his desk. “Do not play the innocent. Your ties with their King…”_

* * *

_“Are no more intricate than the dealings I have with you: just simple commerce transactions,” Jareth interrupted. “By the way, if you send troops to my kingdom, consider our trades null and void. You know there is no love lost between my subjects and you. They’ll ensure that you’ll have a bloodbath on your hands,” Jareth said as he stood and made his way to the large double doors._

_“I would like to hear your explanation to the Court when they discover their ability to become parents ended because their King is a paranoid warmonger,” Jareth taunted._

_Oberon also rose from his chair and made his way to a door situated behind him._

_“Have it your way, Goblin King, but when the Unseelies run rampant over our world and the human lands, I hope you will be able to stand the sight of your own face.” With that final exchange, each king exited through his respective door._

_As Jareth entered the hallway, before he could yell any obscenities, he noticed a small child in a light blue dress sitting on the ground across from him, drawing with a pencil on a piece of parchment in her lap. She looked up to notice the wild-haired fae standing across from her._

_“Good morning, Jareth, King of the Goblins,” she said in a singsong voice while returning to her drawing._

_“Remember me, do you, Princess?” Jareth asked cocking his head to one side and placing his hands on his hips._

_“I remember everyone I see, which actually isn’t very impressive. I don’t see many people,” she explained. “Also, no one could forget that hair of yours.” She stopped drawing to look up to give him a sly grin._

_“It seems that cheekiness of yours is still intact. May I sit down?” Jareth pointed to a spot next to the child._

_“Sure. The stone isn’t comfortable to sit on though.”_

_“If it’s not comfortable, then why are you just sitting here?” Jareth asked as he sat down._

_“I’m not_ just _sitting here. I’m waiting for my father. I don’t have lessons until this afternoon. So, I wanted to surprise him with my drawing. See?” Sarah held up the pencil drawing of a bouquet of blooming irises._

_Jareth took a quick glace to the side, realizing that Oberon had no intentions of walking out of the doors Sarah was expecting._

_“That is a lovely drawing,” Jareth said._

_“Thanks. My governess gave me a book of flowers for my birthday last year. I’ve been drawing from it ever since. Father said he would come see my drawings, but he never has. So, I thought I would surprise him by coming down here.”_

_“Birthday, hm? My memory fails me. How old are you now?” Jareth was trying his best to steer the conversation away from the child’s absentee parent._

_“Seven,” she answered proudly. “It’s been three years since I last saw you. You really don’t come here often, do you?_

_“As I’m sure I said before, I only come when I have no other choice.”_

_“From the Goblin Kingdom, correct?” Sarah returned to her drawing. “I remember looking on a map of the Seelie Kingdom. No Goblin Kingdom was on the map.”_

_“There’s more to this world than the Seelie Court, my dear.”_

_Sarah’s eyes bulged out as she slowly turned her head toward Jareth. “So, you are King of the Unseelies?” She asked as she attempted to scoot away._

_Jareth gently clasped her arm to prevent an escape. “Not Unseelie,” he said, looking her in the eyes._

_Sarah terminated her poor plan to escape. “How can you not be a member of either Court?” she asked. “You have to be a member of a Court.”_

_“Says who?” Jareth asked with a smile._

_“Why are your eyes like that?” Sarah had finally noticed his unusual eyes. Jareth released her arm and sat back against the wall._

_“Long story. However, I will tell you that it involves gorges, beginner level magic, and an idiot of a brother.”_

_“They’re weird,” Sarah responded with a giggle._

_“I’ve always wanted to know what a seven-year-old thought of my eyes. I’m glad I now finally have an answer.”_

_“Why are you wearing gloves?” She asked, ignoring his back handed compliment._

_The smile on Jareth’s face fell to a straight line. “That, Princess, is too involved of a story for you at this moment.”_

_Jareth hated that he had to be abrupt with the child. But there are some things that she would just not understand. Sarah looked up at the double doors, taking note of how much time had passed._

_“He’s not coming out is he?” she asked, feeling crestfallen. Jareth let out a heavy sigh._

_“Sorry, Sarah, he went out the back doors when I left,” Jareth admitted._

_“Back door? Why does he need two different ways to get into his office? Oh well,” Sarah said in resignation. “Here. You take it.”_

_She handed Jareth her iris drawing as she stood up from the ground._

_“Aren’t you as sweet as you are brash?” Jareth took hold of the drawing and placed it in a newly formed crystal. The crystal then disappeared._

_“What did you do?” Sarah said accusingly. Jareth gave her a confusing glance._

_“I sent the picture back to my castle by way of crystal,” Jareth narrowed his eyes at Sarah. “It’s a simple trick I had already mastered by your age. Why are you so surprised by this?”_

_Sarah shrugged. “I haven’t learned how to use my magic. They say I’ll learn it later. And I was told that if I try to do it without guidance, I could hurt myself and others. I get by without it.”_

_Jareth looked at the child with incredulity and disgust. “What fae, let alone a future monarch, doesn’t know how to access her magic?”_

_The hallways filled with loud chimes. Sarah looked out the window to notice the sun’s position. “It’s thirteen o’clock. I have to go,” she said._

_“Lessons, I assume.”_

_“Yes. Dining etiquette. I’ve been learning it weeks now. That many forks shouldn’t be allowed on a table. It’s confusing,” she complained._

_“Sarah!” Muiriol’s voice was echoing throughout the halls._

_“I should be going. See you in another three years, I assume?” Sarah asked._

_“You never know, Princess. You’ll just have to wait and see,” Jareth called out._

_Sarah smiled, turned, and ran, this time, toward the voice calling out for her._

* * *

_A few days after Jareth’s run-in with Sarah, he sat in his office looking over more paper work than he cared to. Just as Jareth had the ever-brilliant idea to forgo his work for another day, in walked his advisor, Avitus, with a letter in his hand._

_Jareth closed his eyes and shook his head. “No. Burn it. Toss it away. I want no more correspondences for the day, or the year for that matter.”_

_Avitus ignored his King’s irritable attitude, as he usually did, and approached him, holding out the letter. “The letter is from the Seelie Court. I doubt you should be ignoring anything from there, especially considering the meeting you had the other day.”_

_Jareth snatched the letter from his advisor’s hand and immediately noticed the difference in the handwriting. Letters from Oberon were not written in such loopy, cursive writing. He opened the envelope and started to read the message._

_“Leave. This doesn’t concern you,” Jareth said without looking up from the letter._

_As Avitus left the room, Jareth straightened in his chair reading the letter again as an enormous smile etched across his features._

Dear Jareth,

I’ve never written to anyone by myself before, especially someone who is royalty. I assumed that since you prefer to be called “Jareth” that you want to be addressed that way as well. I still do not know where the Goblin Kingdom is located. I searched the large map here in the library yet still found nothing. However, I was able to talk one of the brownies in the library into sending you this letter (I promised him my desserts for a whole week). He says he has family in your kingdom (if you even have a kingdom).  

The reason why I gave up my sweets for a whole week is because I realized that I never sent you a thank you note for Lancelot. Once I was old enough, I was told to write to thank everyone who presented gifts at my naming ceremony. Except you. No one told me how I got Lancelot until you told me three years ago. This note is overdue. So, thank you for giving me my best friend. He is worth more to me than silverware. Who needs more forks? We have so much of it already.

Until I see you again in several years,

Sarah, Princess of the Faes.

 

 _Jareth sat back in his chair reading the letter over and over again. He carefully placed the letter back in its envelope and into his desk drawer._ What an odd yet charming girl, _he thought. Maybe it was time he corresponded more frequently with the Seelie Court._

* * *

 _"_ _Jareth!” came a yell from behind the Goblin King._

_Jareth turned around to see a now ten-year-old Sarah jogging toward him. Dressed in a riding outfit, she looked as though she and the horse were not on good terms. Looking past her, toward the stables, Jareth noticed that the horse looked in much better condition than its rider._

_“Sarah,” he called back. For the past three years, the young princess and the Goblin King have continued their letter correspondents. Jareth may not be the most sensitive of beings, but he was not about to let a stuffed bear be a child’s only friend. The brownie from the library was paid handsomely by Jareth so that poor Sarah would not have to sacrifice her desserts. It was complex, but easier than him dropping by the Court for no reason._

_“I always thought that the equestrian arts meant that you rode the horse, not constantly being tossed off it,” Jareth teased. Sarah did her best to knock the mud off her trousers, which should have been bright white in color, but instead were grey, with large patches of brown splattered about._

_"Very funny. Daisy is being testy today. I think she’s upset that I didn’t have any carrots on me,” Sarah explained. “I don’t think that’s reason enough to throw me over the fence.” Jareth manifested a white cloth and handed it to Sarah._

_"Thanks,” she said as she tried in vain to scrub her face._

_“Still not able to access your magic, I see,” Jareth stated with a deep frown._

_"No. Not yet. I’ve stopped asking. I was told by my thirteenth birthday one of the seers would start teaching me,” Sarah said._

_"_ _Nothing like learning magic in time for your engagement,” Jareth joked. Sarah gave him a look of incredulity and shoved him so hard that he nearly fell to the ground._

_“That’s not funny!” Sarah shouted. Jareth gained his balance and let out a robust laugh._

_Sarah stomped her foot. “You’re always so loud. Stop laughing!” Finally gathering his bearings, Jareth gave Sarah a smile. Teasing her had quickly become one of his favorite hobbies._

_"Don’t fret, Sarah, I’m sure that your betrothal will be with someone who has all his teeth. Let me know how it goes if you marry a centaur. I always wondered how that worked.” That comment earned another shove, this time allowing the shove to push him to the ground. He was tired of standing anyway._

_"Don’t joke about that stuff. I wouldn’t put it past them,” Sarah lamented. She looked up to one of the windows in the castle and saw Titania glaring down at her and Jareth. The queen was present for only a moment before she left._

_“Come now, Sarah. They may be useless, but your parents have no reason for such callous actions. You’ll have plenty of time to become miserably attached forever to some uppity prince… or possibly a duke. I heard the Troll king’s sister just gave birth to a son.”_

_“Eww!” Sarah said in disgust. “Trolls are gross. I don’t want to deal with the Troll King’s subjects. I heard they eat dirt.”_

_“Rocks,” Jareth answered._

_"What?”_

_“Trolls eat rocks now, not dirt. They would be insulted if you said they eat dirt,” Jareth explained._

_Sarah looked at him as though he had two heads._

_“Long ago, they used to eat the various kingdoms’ and the Aboveground’s livestock. We all have the current King of the Trolls to thank for that the fact that they don’t do that anymore.”_

_“Well, thanks for the history lesson, as if I don’t have enough of those,” Sarah said while joining Jareth on the ground._

_“Why did you come here anyway? You didn’t say in your last letter that you would be visiting the Fae Kingdom.”_

_“Emergency meeting of sorts,” Jareth said, looking straight ahead._

_“It’s true, right? The rumors the staff keeps whispering about. There’s going to be a war? With the Unseelies?” Sarah inquired. “It’s one thing for my father to be having a meeting with the King of the Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, Centaurs, and even the Giants. But you came here as well. And you never arrive without a cause.”_

_Jareth turned to look at Sarah. “Those rumors are overblown. There’s not going to be any war. Do you understand me?”_

_"Then why are you here?” Sarah asked._

_"Making sure the entire Court doesn’t lose its mind and do something foolish, like launch itself into battle haphazardly,” Jareth stated._

_“Where would the Goblin Kingdom be in all this? You still haven’t told me about your kingdom. All you do is whine about how much Avitus bothers you with work.”_

_“Ah, my kingdom’s backstory will have to wait for another time,” Jareth said._

_“You always say that. You know, one day you’ll have to tell me. The library has no mention of you,” Sarah said, raising a questioning eyebrow._

_“All things in good time, Sarah. Although, I am a bit aggravated that there’s no mention of me in archives. After all I do for the Court,” Jareth mumbled. Sarah rolled her eyes. She never was good at coaxing information out of him._

_“Sarah?” Muiriol said, standing a few meters away from Sarah. “Sarah, the Queen would like you to join her for afternoon tea. Go inside to clean up and meet her in her blue sitting room,” Muiriol said. “Good afternoon, Goblin King,” Muiriol’s tone going flat as she greeted Jareth._

_"Good afternoon, Governess,” Jareth said. “Looking ruddy as ever, I see.” Jareth flashed his smirk as Muiriol glared at him._

_“Oh great. What did I do now? She never has tea with me unless she’s berating me about something,” Sarah groaned. Jareth stood up quickly and held out his hand for Sarah to take. As she rose, Sarah brushed the grass off her trousers._

_“Never turn down tea, Sarah. The sandwiches alone make up for all the wailing your mother may do,” Jareth said._

_Sarah let out a small laugh. “You really are happy with the little things, aren’t you? Goodbye, Jareth,” Sarah said as she hugged him._

_“No goodbyes, Sarah. Only until next time,” he said as he returned her hug._

* * *

  _Jareth paced the walkway of the Seelie Court gardens, his patience wearing thin. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a woman of medium height on the other side of the hedge fence, walking away from him in a parallel direction. He stalked the stone path toward her and turned left at one of the hedge openings. He stopped along the trail and faced the dark haired woman. She was wearing a beige riding jacket, a light pink, flowing tulle skirt and grey, stone-colored, knee-high laced boots._

_“Jareth?” yelled the woman as she ran toward him._

_His mouth went dry. “Sarah?” Jareth whispered mostly to himself. Sarah caught him around his neck, pulling him into a hug. A lot of time had passed since he’d seen or even heard from Sarah. The last letter from Sarah had arrived shortly after he saw her three years ago. Apparently, the Queen was made aware of the growing friendship between the two and ordered that their correspondence cease immediately. According to Sarah’s final letter, she was not allowed to speak to anyone outside the Palace without prior approval from the throne. Since then, he has not heard from her._

_Jareth held her tight while slowly combing his hands through her hair. He surprised himself by how much he missed holding her. He didn’t want to let her go. Sarah pulled Jareth back and held him by his upper arms. “Look at you! It’s been so long,” Sarah exclaimed, smiling._

_Dumfounded, Jareth said, “Look at me? Look at you, Sarah. Time has done well by you.”_

_"Well, thank you.” Sarah looked down at the ground, her cheeks blushed. “What are you doing here anyway?”_

_“Seems to be your standard question whenever I show up,” Jareth said._

_Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. “Let me guess. You are here because my father is being an idiot, as well as the other members of the Seelie Court.”_

_Jareth’s face fell. “No. I’m here to figure out if the rumors are true…”_

_"And I thought that finding the source of rumors was my job,” Sarah joked._

_Jareth did not find the situation funny. “Sarah, I’m being serious. Are they sending you away?”_

_"Not away. I’m going to the Aboveground, as a human, apparently,” Sarah said._

_“Because of these trivial rumors of war? They have been going on for years. And just how are they going to make you human?” Jareth probed._

_“They’re not just war rumors. You must really alienate yourself. The whole kingdom knows about the Unseelie kidnapping plans. I’ve been on lockdown for months. It’s only been in the past week or two that I’ve been allowed out on the castle grounds. These can’t just be idle threats, Jareth,” Sarah explained, her eyes wide with anxiety._

_“And the human part…”_

_Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I still can’t do magic. I have no clue how this is supposed to happen.” Jareth walked them over to a stone bench and sat._

_“Is there a reason why you still haven’t been taught how to use your magic?” Jareth asked tersely._

_"Um… I don’t know. I asked again about a year ago. Still no.”_

_"Wasn’t your thirteenth birthday a month ago? Does the Crown not realize how foolish it is to introduce a royal fae to Court that has no knowledge of magic?” Jareth queried._

_“I haven’t been introduced to the Court yet…”_

_Jareth turned to Sarah with a look of stunned aversion. “What?”_

_"I was told that it was inappropriate to have such celebrations right now, with the kidnapping threats. And a few weeks ago, news came that a sluagh ransacked several Seelie villages close to the border. Everyone died. I have to agree that a giant party would be seen as foolish,” Sarah reasoned._

_Jareth’s blood began to boil with indignation. “No sluagh attacked the Seelie villages, Sarah. The Unseelies don’t give a shit about the Seelie Court…”_

_“How do you know? You just keep to yourself in that imaginary kingdom of yours,” Sarah said._

_"It’s not imaginary!” Jareth exclaimed. He caught himself yelling and let out a large sigh. He grasped Sarah’s face and brought his closer. “Sarah, the Court is making an enormous and unreasonable mistake. What they would be doing to you is unheard of magic. It could all go horribly wrong.”_

_"And that’s okay…”_

_Jareth’s eyes filled with sorrow. “You could die. You could be human and trapped aboveground forever, forced to live a normal human lifespan. You would be willing to do this for the Court?” Jareth asked in hushed tones._

_Sarah released Jareth’s hands from her face. “Okay, I never thought of it that way, at least not all of that. But I’m not doing this for the Court. I’m doing this for me,” Sarah clarified._

_Jareth just looked at Sarah with a blank stare._

_“This place is horrible. It’s a gilded cage that somehow seems to snatch the air from my lungs. I want to leave. I have no friends. No one I can talk to. If having that means my exile to the Aboveground, then fine. I’m sick of being here.”_

_“Sarah…”_

_“Don’t say something like ‘You’ll always have me’ or ‘one day things will get better’. I can’t ask you for any of your time. You’re a king. You already have too much to do than to worry about a Princess ignored in her chambers.”_

_“And when is this all supposed to happen?” Jareth said, looking at the stone path._

_“In a few days, I think. The High Seer said it shouldn’t hurt and should be quick.”_

_“When will you return?”_

_Sarah slumped on the bench. “I don’t know. I was told that they would come when they are ready to get me. Whenever that is. How did you know this was happening, anyway?”_

_"Let’s just say that certain creatures in the palace have a sworn fealty to the coin rather than the Crown. If your father would do better by them, maybe I wouldn’t be able to acquire such knowledge.”_

_"A spy? You sent a spy in…”_

_Jareth raised a finger in protest. “I didn’t send a spy in, just paid for information. Spies are such high maintenance.”_

_Sarah put on an affronted face. “I should have you reported for such acts.”_

_He gave a smirk. “Yet you won’t. I know you better than that,” he whispered as he brushed away tendrils of hair from Sarah’s eyes._

_“Well, I should just to show your pompous ass its place,” Sarah said._

_“Language, Princess.”_

_Sarah could not resist sticking her tongue out at the Goblin King, eliciting a loud laugh from him._

_"By the way, how are you able to just show up here in the royal gardens?” Sarah inquired._

_“You would think your father would place some sort of a magical shield around the palace. To answer your question, I just flew in. Even your father doesn’t believe his own war and kidnapping plot bullshit enough to place up even the most rudimentary security.”_

_“Language, Goblin King,” Sarah mocked._

_Loud chimes rang out throughout the garden. Sarah looked up toward the large bell tower._

_Sarah slowly rose from the bench, and Jareth followed suit. “It’s getting late. I should go before someone sees you, and a major political incident breaks out.”_

_“I know this may shock you, but I am capable of taking care of myself.”_

_“Well, you do that. Stay out of trouble. You seem to have the impulses of an imp,” Sarah joked._

_She went to give him a hug, but Jareth stopped her. The fact that this would be the last time seeing her for a long time, if ever again, hit him. So, he quickly came up with an idea._

_"Wait.” Jareth produced a crystal which then transformed into a small red book. He handed the book to Sarah._

_“‘The Labyrinth?’ This is the maze that surrounds your castle, right?” She quickly flipped through the pages. She looked up from the book to give him a quizzical look. “The book is blank; there’re no words. You could have at least added some pictures.”_

_"It’s mildly enchanted. A story will unfold itself according to your life and surroundings. Take it with you to the Aboveground. A little magical souvenir for your trip there,” Jareth explained._

_Sarah carefully traced the embossed lettering of the book. “I’ll be sure to take it with me. I promise. Thank you,” Sarah whispered._

_Jareth took Sarah’s face in his hand and gently kissed her forehead. “Goodbye, Sarah.”_

_“Did you forget, Jareth? No ‘Goodbyes’. Only, until next time,” Sarah said as she gave him one last hug. Clutching the book to her chest, she walked toward the palace._

_“Goodbye, you precious thing.”_

 


	8. Chapter 8

_This is not a coincidence  
And far more than a lucky chance_

* * *

 

Several minutes had passed since Sarah took hold of the crystal and fainted, and Jareth sat still on the stone balcony floor holding Sarah across his lap. He gently combed his fingers through her hair while softly singing to himself.

“It’s only forever, not long at all,” He sang to himself. “Lost and lonely…” Then, a small groan came from the fae in his arms.

“Are you all right, Sarah?”

Sarah slowly raised a hand to her wrinkled brow, her eyes still clenched shut.

“Oh god. I forgot how awful that feels. I’m never doing that again,” She complained.

Jareth chuckled. “Yes, well, I forgot how strenuous such magic can be.” He ran his gloved hand along the curve of her hip, making small circles in the fabric.

Sarah’s eyes went wide with the realization that she was lying across the Goblin King’s lap with her head cradled in his arm and his hand stoking her side. She quickly stood up and backed away from Jareth. Sarah grasped the balcony railings due to the consequences of hastily standing up. Her face flamed. Sarah inhaled a shuddery breath and fought back the small tremors caused by Jareth’s ministrations. Now was not the time to be distracted by the distracting acts of the dubious Goblin King.

“Don’t touch me! Stay away from me,” Sarah demanded while gently rubbing her temples, trying to gain her composure. A hurt expression flashed across his face. The cold air that replaced the warm comfort of Sarah across his body was jarring to Jareth’s senses.

Jareth let out an exasperated sigh. “And here I thought we were having such a lovely moment. Why so distraught Sarah? Did I make a mistake and show you my fantasies instead of my memories,” Jareth teased, trying to lighten the mood.

She cleared her throat. “Very funny,” she said as she brushed away the imaginary lint on her dress. “I saw your memories…”

“And you believe me a liar?” Jareth dared Sarah to affirm his accusation.

“I think I have twenty-six hours to determine what I think of you,” Sarah answered, slightly wincing at her harsh tone. Jareth stood to his feet and started walking towards her.

“I’m so thankful for your generous reprieve of my character,” he gritted though his teeth. “I’ll be on pins and needles in the next few days.”

“Don’t be spiteful. If you didn’t care about my opinion of you, why would you bother to go through the trouble of all this?” She pointed toward the illusionary wall.

Running his gloved fingers under her chin, he tilted her head back so she couldn’t avoid his intense gaze. “Because the truth matters,” he said. “Because Oberon and his minions should be found as the frauds and criminals that they are. And, you’ll see very soon, Princess, that you are living with soul sucking vampires who have been using you as a prop from the day you were born.” Sarah slapped his hand away, refusing to be affected by his actions.

“Vampires? I didn’t think they were real,” she countered.

Unfortunately, Jareth was no longer in the mood for any type of jocularity. He knew that his temper could at times get the better of him, especially when it came to Sarah, but she just was not listening to reason. 

Jareth crossed his arms and frowned at her. “This isn’t a joke, Sarah.”

“And just exactly how am I to be used as a prop. If anything, I’m more of a collector’s item: staying enclosed except for special occasions,” Sarah said as she gave a mock curtsey.

Several voices from inside the palace could be heard getting closer.

“Have you seen Princess Sarah?” asked a female voice.

“No. Last I saw, she was in the ballroom,” answered the male voice.

“Muiriol said that she walked out a little while ago. Just keep your eyes open. She might be lost. She doesn’t come down to this part of the palace often.

“Well, now it looks like a search party has been sent out for me. I should go, and frankly, you should too. You were already told to leave earlier,” Sarah said.

“Thanks to you, I might add,” he muttered.

“Hey! That was not my fault. You were causing a scene,” Sarah accused, arms crossed. “Also, you weren’t even invited.”

“Princess Sarah!” Various yells rang through the hallway.

“Why must everyone insist on yelling, like I’m a dog?” She complained.

Jareth gave a lopsided grin. “Probably because you are to them. I’ve heard dog sitters get in trouble when they lose the family pet,” he answered as he leaned back on the stone railing.

“Screw you!” she snapped, tears forming in her eyes. “That’s not nice. Just leave me alone. Go home and torment your goblins.”

Jareth had gone too far, and Sarah wasn’t going to hear these annoyances anymore. Sarah turned and marched toward the fake wall. Pausing for a second, she reached out to check if the wall was solid. Confirming that it was not a real wall, she strolled through leaving an enraged Jareth alone on the balcony.

He nearly had half the mind to storm after her and shake her until she believed him. How dare she not believe him after all was shown to her. To disbelieve him and all he showed her was to believe the propaganda of the Seelie Court. Once again, he did so much for her only to be standing alone without any gratitude. Lest he be caught where he should not be, Jareth dissolved the wall illusion, transformed into his owl form, and flew back to his castle.

When Jareth made it back to his castle, he transformed back into his fae form. Looking around, there were several dozen goblins passed out, as usual. However, at this point in time, he was in no mood to even have them in his presence regardless of how quiet they were being.

“Get out! All of you!” Jareth commanded.

The fact that he was to spend another night at the castle alone was awful enough. He sure as hell was not going to spend it in the company of goblins. Every goblin instantly stumbled to its feet and fled the room without question.  Jareth walked up to his throne and collapsed in his chair. As though the Fates thought he needed more agitation, a small nagging thump developed in the back of his head.

“What the hell do you want now?” Jareth asked the empty room.

“Can’t a brother visit his sibling? I know how lonely that castle could be,” answered the disembodied voice.

With a frustrated groan, Jareth snapped his fingers and in flew an osprey.

“Going for a night flight this evening? That seems so unlike you,” Jareth said, now glaring at his brother Lochlan.

“I should ask you the same thing. Since when have you taken to Seelie Court visits at night?” Lochlan asked with a knowing smirk on his face. Jareth turned his head away, not willing to look at his brother let alone answer him.

“Let me guess, you were not greeted warmly by your precious Princess. What a startling revelation,” Lochlan said. “And here I was just about to pick out bonding flowers.”

Jareth turned a steely glare at his brother, his eyes flashing black and then back to normal. “How many times do I have to tell you to not speak of things you don’t understand? Most of this is your bloody fault,” Jareth accused.

Lochlan looked sincerely bewildered. “And what the hell did I do to deserve such scorn?”

Jareth jumped off his throne and stalked toward his brother. “If you kept a closer reign on your subjects…”

“Don’t you dare try to blame me. This tactic did not work twelve years ago, and it is not going to work now. What would you have me do about the slander spewing from Oberon? The Court never would believe my word that my sluaghs didn’t kill those people. I see no reason why I should waste my time speaking to those who won’t listen.”

Jareth pointed an accusatory finger at his brother. “Your silence made Oberon’s lies believable…”

“To whom? To you? I’m the epitome of evil. Remember, Jareth? Or have you forgotten the role we both play in the eyes of the Court. Sometimes, I think that your isolation blinds you to all that’s going on. To them, I’m out to rape and pillage. No amount of negotiation will change their minds. But you…Sometimes, I wonder if you really think there was a valid kidnapping plot from me,” Lochlan said. “If I were to go after a high ranking royal, I would go after Oberon, not meddle with a sheltered princess. What the Court thought I would do to her is beyond me. Oh wait… I have an idea.” A brief yet sultry image flashed through Lochlan’s mind as a wicked sneer grew across his face.

Lochlan turned his eyes to his brother’s face which displayed Jareth’s murderous intent. Jareth fired a crystal at his brother that barely missed and struck the wall behind him leaving behind a blown out hole with smoldering ash around it. Lochlan turned back into an osprey and flew out the window as a flash of lightening from his brother nearly hit his wing.

* * *

 

After convincing Muiriol that her court absence was due to feeling ill, she was allowed to leave the ball early and make her way back to her chambers alone without the constant humming of the ballroom and the yammering of a certain Goblin King. Sitting at her vanity, she laid her head down on its surface and closed her eyes to will the headache to go away. She was not sure whether the pain was crystal induced or the party goers, but right now, she wanted to deal with neither.

 _Friends with Goblin King_ , she thought. _How absurd. At least, he didn’t want to kill me. Or maybe he does, and this is part of his plan_. _No, that can’t be it. If this is part of an assassination plan, it would be a stupid plan._ _He should have his crown taken away if this is a plan to kill me._

Sleep. She needed sleep. Forget the bath and just go straight to bed. _Forget the Goblin King. His lies will be exposed this time tomorrow_. Sarah walked to her closet and changed into her nightgown, leaving her custom gown on the floor. Climbing into bed, she buried under the covers and grabbed Lancelot as she did every night when she lived in the palace. Staring at the toy, she struggled to figure out where she got the toy from. There is just no way it came from the Goblin King. That idea was too impossible for Sarah to believe. Clearly, he thought it funny to mess with Sarah. From their brief encounter, Sarah could deduce that he had an odd sense of humor to say the least. Why he wanted her to believe that he was her friend was not fathomable to Sarah. But she would find out. This time tomorrow, those pesky “memories” would be gone, and she can find out what the Goblin King is really up to, and why he would conjure up such an elaborate scheme.

She just needed to sleep.

The sun beamed through the stained glass in Sarah’s chambers. Birds could be heard outside, and a sleeping princess could be found lying supine in her bed. Suddenly, Sarah’s eyed opened wide.

“The notes,” Sarah said to herself. “The notes!”

If Jareth was telling the truth, there would be notes, and she would have kept them somewhere safe. Even in her human form, Sarah always kept letters people wrote her, occasionally reading them whenever she started to miss the person.

She sat up straight in her bed and noticed the sun’s position: it was the early afternoon. She usually would have been woken up hours ago. A white piece of folded paper on the vanity caught Sarah’s eye. She got out of bed and moseyed toward the vanity. Grabbing the paper, she read the note and a smile etched across her face. Apparently because Sarah “felt unwell”, her parents allowed her the day off to rest. Why did she never think to lie about her health before? That fact could have been helpful years ago. Think of all the lessons she could have missed.

 _Focus on the real issue,_ she thought. _Back to the notes._ If there are notes, she must have hid them which now would be hidden from her as well as others. _The closet!_

Sarah rushed to her closet, almost tripping over her disregarded dress. Kneeling to the ground, she moved her shoes to the side and carefully brushed her hands over the wall that separated her closet from her bathroom.

“Come on. I know you are somewhere around here,” Sarah said as she lightly knocked on each limestone brick along her wall when she finally came to a hollow sounding brick.

“Gotcha!” She smiled as she slowly lifted the limestone from its set in place. Why the limestone was like this, she never knew. But she remembers playing hide and seek with Muiriol when she was five and finding this hollowed portion of the wall. Looking inside, her face fell and her blood ran cold when she noticed the hole was not as hollow as she expected. The hovel was packed full of white paper.

Reaching in, her trembling hands pulled out all the paper she saw. Envelopes. Several stacks of envelopes were shoved inside the wall. Nothing was written on the outside of the envelopes. She opened a random envelop and read the letter inside. It was a message from Jareth to Sarah wishing her a happy ninth birthday and regretting his inability to send her a proper gift. The next letter she saw detailed how Jareth added another thoroughbred stallion to his stables and named it Lotus because of Sarah’s love of flowers. Another from Jareth listed his advice on the proper technique to better control Daisy so Sarah would not fall so much anymore. Sarah felt her throat close up and angry tears stained her eyes. Sarah sat in her closet reading through every letter, becoming more infuriated with every letter she read.

 _He was right. That pompous ass was right,_ Sarah thought. _Ugh. He’ll never let me live this down. Oh god. I treated him so terribly._

The weight of the knowledge that the memories she was given were not complete hit her in the gut. Someone had messed with her memories. Pressing her fingers to her temple, she tried to gain control over vertigo that threatened to overcome her senses. She started breathing deeply to calm her nerves: _in through the nose and out the mouth_. Sarah crawled over to her still packed bag and placed the letters in the bag. She heard two knocks on the chamber doors before they opened.

“Sarah? Are ya awake? I brought ya some lunch, my dear,” Muiriol said as she entered the room. Sarah tried to quickly compose herself, wiping away any trace of her tears. No amount of lying could account for her exiting her closet a nervous wreck.

“I’m here,” she called out as she made her way to the closet door. “I just woke up and was about to take a shower.”

“Just woke up, eh? Ya must not be feeling any better. Well, I brought ya some soup and some fruit.” She placed the tray of food on a small circular table near the glass window. “Sit down and eat. I’ll start drawing your bath.”

Sarah walked over to the table and sat down in the high back chair, not really wanting to eat. She heard Muiriol start the water in the bathroom. Sarah never understood why she insisted on running the water for Sarah’s bath. She does have two capable hands of her own.

“Muiriol, why did father insist Jareth leave last night?” Sarah asked while idly popping grapes into her mouth.

Muiriol came from the bathroom toward Sarah and sat in the chair opposite her. “Now, why do you care about a rapscallion like him? And you know better than to be so casual with names.”

“Rapscallion? That’s an odd way to describe someone.” Sarah raised her eyebrows at the odd description. “Why is he considered a _rapscallion_?” Sarah asked, trying to play naïve.

“He ain’t ta be trusted, that’s all. His ties to the UnSeelie make him suspicious. Why the King receives audiences from him, I won’t ever know. Someone like that shouldn’t be allowed near the future heir to the throne. That I do know. Enough talk about that fae, eat your soup,” Muiriol instructed.

After Sarah finished picking at her food, she went into her bathroom to get cleaned up. Running her hand through the water, she found it still hot. _A magic palace does have its uses,_ she thought as she slipped beneath the water of her large claw footed tub.

Sarah closed her eyes as she struggled through all the information she uncovered. She told Jareth she would not believe him until a full day had transpired. However, after she found the letters in the wall, the evidence pointed more toward the fact that Jareth was right: someone messed with her memories. Someone did not want her to have any memory of her limited time with Jareth.

_But why?_

Why would they not want her to speak to him anymore? Their relationship seemingly consisted of writing to tell each other mundane stories about their mutually privileged lives. In Sarah’s mind, no threat was ever posed by his presence in her life. Sarah struck the surface of the water in frustration. If she had her own recollections of Jareth instead of relying on his memory, she would not be in this predicament. What is it about Jareth that would make them want to erase him from her memories, but not enough to block him from the Court or declare war against him? If he was such a danger, he should be treated as one. So many questions clouded her brain, starting to induce another migraine.

_Dammit!_

Enough was enough Sarah decided. She stepped out of the tub and unplugged the drain. Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her, she made her way to the closet to change. Eyeing over her wardrobe, she decided that she was tired of wear dresses. Going through her bag, she pulled out a pair of her jeans and a long sleeve grey shirt. Titania abhorred her clothes from the Aboveground. But right now, Sarah really did not care what her mother thought. So much so that Sara did not even bother to dry her hair first. Oh, yes, Titania is going to be upset. Then again, Titania was upset by everything. If Sarah’s memory served her right, which now it did not, she has only seen her mother smile once, and that was at the expense of a poor server who tripped during dinner. Sarah’s mind wandered to one of the letters she received from Jareth. He wrote that Titania’s face froze in its present state after a cold wind brought the stench of Trolls’ breath several millennia ago.

Walking out of her closet, she noticed that Muiriol had already left with the empty tray. Slipping on her flats, she walked out of her chambers. Where she was going… she did not know. That could be a problem. Best place she could go to find anyone in the middle of the day was her father’s study.

Sarah walked down the hallways of the palace. As Sarah neared her father’s study, she heard the low rumblings of conversation coming from a nearby room. She hugged the wall with her back and crept closer to the door. The heavy wooden door was open only a fraction of an inch, but that was enough to allow Sarah to hear the conversations going on inside. The discussion sounded heated, and all the voices sounded familiar.

“…ridiculous. There’s no need for such actions,” came the first voice, which sounded like Rhys, King of the Dwarves.

“And why would there not be? She’s isolated and has no one but her parents and that governess of hers.” The dissenting voice chimed in. This voice most definitely belonged to Aiden, King of the Elves.

“Why must the poor girl’s life be more staid than it is…?” King Rhys asked.

“Arranged marriages are not considered outside the norm. Why are you acting as though this practice is erratic?” Oberon asked, his booming voice unmistakable to Sarah’s ears.

_Arranged what?_


	9. Chapter 9

_Rebel, Rebel_

* * *

 

“In my opinion, she has been more than understanding of all that has occurred. She left her home here and went to be a human for over a decade. The least you could do is allow her to choose her own mate, or at least possibly delay this action. She’s barely been back for half a fortnight,” King Rhys explained.

King Rhys of the Dwarves was an average height fae, who was known to dress in simple clothing. He kept his salt and pepper hair short and, unlike most male faes, wore a close cut beard; presumably to fit in among the dwarves who tended to wear them.

“How lovely of you to insert yourself as a third parent?” came the distinct drawl of Titania.

 _Mother? Why is she there?_ Sarah thought. _She never deals with policy discussions._

“If I may ask,” inquired the baritone voice of the Cillian, King of the Giants. “Why is this marriage still planning to happen? There was no war. Why should Aiden’s progeny be awarded as the next King of the Fae? Prince Kieran is borderline useless.”

King Cillian of the Giants was a large fae in every sense of the word. If his height did not intimidate those who met him, his massive girth and sourly disposition would do the trick. His waist-long, red hair cautioned those around him of his blistering temper.

“Because, King Aiden has used his time and resources to help me these past years. Additionally, as Sarah becomes older, her insubordinate nature has only become more prominent with time. It will be more difficult to restrain her. Kieran will surely keep her occupied,” Oberon explained.

King Aiden. To Sarah, he was her least favorite of the monarchs who stalked the Palace walls, and not just because he spawned an asshole with legs. A tall lithely fae with shoulder-length, brown hair, Aiden always presented a smug temperament to those around him. Sarah thought he was pious because he was around elves all the time. But after meeting several elves, Sarah determined that Aiden just like to walk around with a stick up his ass.

“Is she that bothersome that she needs to be controlled? And what exactly have you done, Aiden, to deserve such a reward?” King Rhys asked.

“That is none of your concern,” Titania interjected.

“Like hell it isn’t!” King Cillian interjected, slamming his fist to the table. “This would disrupt the standing of the Seelie Court. Every Kingdom would now be subservient to the Elf Kingdom. The citizens of our kingdoms would not stand for such an upheaval.”

Suddenly, a shouting match erupted among the monarchs, minus the voice of Titania. She always did have a skill for not getting her hands dirty.

While the shouting continued, Sarah sat on the floor next to the barely a jarred door. Attempting to calm her nerves, she ran her hands up and down her upper arms trying in vain to stop the goose bumps.

_What the hell was happening?_

Having inattentive parents was one thing, but to marry her off to the highest bidder was another.

_And why? To control me? And to Kieran? He’s horrible!_

She was not trying to burn the palace down. She did well in her lessons, even though she hated most of them. She always believed her parents were grooming her for the throne, not as a consort. Has she been a constant problem for them? As the questions swirled through her mind, heavy tears fell down Sarah’s face. Those fools for parents don’t deserve such an action. Wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt, Sarah willed herself to stop crying.

They considered her a burden that needs to be controlled and maintained like a weed in a garden. Sarah will show them exactly how much of a pain she really can be. She staggered to her feet and stood in front of the door. Taking a deep breath and saying a silent prayer to the Fates, Sarah opened the door and rushed into the room of arguing monarchs. Well, former arguing monarchs. As soon as she walked in, the room came to a standstill.

Titania rose to her feet, her gown swooshing around her as she left her chair. “What gives you the impression that you are allowed to enter this room? And what are you wearing?”

_Oh. There’s that face. She has such a good scowl._

Sarah looked down at her clothing, forgetting that she was wearing her Aboveground clothing. “I’m wearing clothes,” Sarah said matter-of-factly. “And I belong in here since it is my future you are discussing,” Sarah said, not losing eye contact with Oberon.

Oberon’s face was etched with shock. “How much of this conversation did you hear?”

“Enough. Apparently, I’m clearly out of control and so much of a drain that I am to be married off to someone I barely know,” Sarah’s voice rose the more she spoke. “I’m not some prize to be won. I can be an effective queen on my own. Isn’t that what I’ve been training for all my life?”

“Sarah, do not speak about things you do not understand,” Oberon’s voice growing dangerously low. Sarah was unfazed.

“Things I don’t understand? Yeah, there are things I don’t understand,” she said, indignant. “For example, why I was sent Aboveground when there was no war? Why I’m not able to visit the Aboveground? Why I’m not being taught by a seer to learn my magic like any normal fae? Why I’m kept in the palace and not allowed to leave its grounds? Why I’m not…”

“SILENCE!” Oberon’s bellow brought Sarah’s list of complaints to a stop. Oberon walked over to Sarah to stand in front of her, looking down his nose. His hand reared back as his hand hit Sarah hard across the face.

“The last time I checked,” he spat, “I was the King of the Faes and the Seelie Court. I take no nonsense from anyone, let alone my daughter.”

Sarah grabbed the side of her face, certain there was a forming bruise. Her blood ran cold. Words could not describe how stunned she was that her father just laid hands on her. Many things could be used to describe her parents, but Sarah never would have used the phrase “physically abusive”. Her eyes darted back and forth between Titania and Oberon, the former looking unconcerned about what the latter was doing.

“If you value the little freedom you still possess, you will head to your chambers without ever speaking a word of this again. Learn your place, child,” said Titania.  

Sarah stood still, conflicted: part of her wanted to run crying from the room, unable to understand why this was happening to her; the other part of her wanted to lash out, scream, kick, bite, draw blood, and defend herself against the monsters she called parents. Unfortunately for those in the room, she chose the second emotion.

Sarah’s breathing increased. She could hear her heart beat in her ears. Sarah stood tall, her hands clenched at her side. Sarah body felt like it was overheating, and her vision began to blur.

“No,” Sarah grounded out through her teeth.

“Excuse me?” Titania said with a look of sheer outrage on her face.

“I said ‘no’!” Sarah yelled.

The room immediately began to shake, and Sarah was knocked to the floor. Her body heat normalized and her vision returned. She scrambled to her knees to notice everyone in the room was either lying on the floor or on the wooden table.

_What just happened? Are they dead? Am I dead? I hope this isn’t the Fade because I would like my money back._

Sarah stumbled to her feet and rushed to Titania who was lying on the ground her face blocked by her cascading hair. Sarah checked her breathing.

_Still alive._

She went over to Oberon whose head was on the floor.

_Still breathing as well._

Panic rushed through Sarah’s veins as she frantically ran her hands though her hair.

“What the hell?” Sarah squeaked out.

She may not have known what happened, but she did not want to be here when everyone woke up, especially after the assault she just suffered. Sarah ran toward the door and opened it to find Muiriol on the other side, her eyes wide with shock. Muiriol took a quick peek into the room to see everyone passed out.

“I don’t know what happened. Muiriol, you have to believe me…”

“I heard everythin’, child. Come,” Muiriol said while grabbing Sarah’s hand, dragging her away to the North Wing of the palace.

“Where are we going? What are you doing?” Sarah rambled off.

“We have got to get you out of here,” Muiriol stated.

“How much did you hear?”

“All of it. I came lookin’ for ya. Couldn’t help but hear with all that yellin’. And then the Palace shook. Don’t know what that was about. And it don’t matter neither,” Muiriol explained as she twisted and turned the two of them through the hallways. Coming to the door to Sarah’s bedchamber, Muiriol opened it and shoved Sarah inside.

A junior member of the palace staff came walking by and Muiriol stopped him.

“I found the King and Queen passed out in the conference room. Have the guards go check on ‘em. I’m checking on the Princess in case there has been an attack,” Muiriol ordered.

The poor elf’s eyes went wide with fear before turning to run down the hall, yelling for guards. Muiriol walked into Sarah’s bedchamber to see her sitting on her bed and staring at the floor.

“What are you doing with yourself, just sittin’ there? Get up! We got to get you out of here,” Muiriol said in frenzy.

“Why are you doing this? You have always been loyal to the Crown,” Sarah said in a small voice.

“And you aren’t part of the Crown? I’ve seen enough of this, enough of seeing you miserable. I don’t know what you did back there, but whatever it is, it’s plenty powerful. Lashing magic out on the monarchs of the Seelie Court? There are going to be repercussions for that, ya know.”

“I don’t even know what happened! Or even how it happened. Muiriol, you said I should go. But where am I going?” Sarah said as she followed Muiriol to her closet.

“Far from the palace, that’s where yer are going. You said you spent many times outdoors when ye were Above. Well, my dear, that’s going to come in handy now.”

“And then what? I’m going to be an outlaw royal for all my life? My parents are in the early part of their fourth millennium, it will be at least another two before they decide to move on to the Fade. And you know better than me that they won’t retire,” Sarah said.

“Sarah, I don’t got all the answers,” Muiriol stopped her pacing to grab Sarah by the arms. “But I do know that you can’t be here, at least not for a while. Now, we don’t have much time. You need to pack.” Muiriol moved to the closet and started shifting through Sarah’s dresses.

“I’m not wearing dresses while camping in the woods,” Sarah protested. Looking down in the corner, she realized that her bag still had all her Aboveground clothes inside. She never unpacked it. Reaching down to grab the bag, Sarah raised it to cross it over her body.  

“I’m packed and ready,” Sarah said causing Muiriol search to halt.

“You can’t just go like that,” Muiriol objected.

“Can’t have my escape being weighed down,” Sarah explained.

Muiriol let out a defeated sigh. “All right. C’mon.” Muiriol marched out the closet with Sarah behind her.

“Wait a minute!” Sarah yelled as she went to her bed to grab Lancelot. “Leave no man behind or bear. Whatever,” Sarah said with a smile.

“Oh, how I’ll miss that smile,” Muiriol began to tear up.

“No. No. No. Don’t cry,” Sarah grabbed Muiriol in hug. “I’ll see you again; I promise,” Sarah’s eye beginning to shed tears. “So, how I am I to get out of here?”

“Everyone will be at the East Wing looking after yer parents and taking them to the healers. Go out the West Wing to the stables. Quickly tact up Daisy and get out of here,” Muiriol said.

“And what about you?” Sarah asked with concern.

“Well someone has to stay behind and come up with a convincin’ lie to keep ‘em off your trail. I may be able to convince ‘em that you are hidin’ in the palace somewhere for a good week. You were always good at hidin’ where you ain’t supposed to be,” Muiriol said.

“Thank you, Muiriol,” Sarah said as she made her way to the door.

As Sarah walked through the door, Muiriol called out into the empty hallway, “Whatever you do, dontcha go south. You’ll run into those UnSeelies if you do.”

Sarah ran down the hall and took the first set of stairs. After travelling down the three set of stairs, she found herself on the ground level of the palace but still in the North Wing. The first thing she noticed that it was quiet. Really quiet. The main kitchen and dining areas were on this level and the area was always a bevy of activity. Muiriol was right. Thank the Fates for diversions.

Sarah looked out toward the stables and the surrounding area to ensure that there was no one. Off to the left, she noticed a brownie tending to one of the many flower gardens. If she ran, she would probably catch his attention. Even though it went against her instincts, Sarah walked toward the stables, resisting the urge to run. When she was about fifty feet from the stables, she was done resisting and sped up her gait into a full run.

Inside the stables, she realized that she was all alone. Sarah raced over to Daisy’s stall, located on the opposite side of the stables. Daisy was a strong Irish Draught horse that happened to be quite large for mare at sixteen hands high. Sarah opened the door to Daisy’s stall in order to tack her, when Sarah realized that all the equipment was must have been placed in the tack room. She had a habit of keeping the tacking equipment hanging outside Daisy’s stalls, but the stable hands had a terrible habit of putting it away.

“Damn it!” Sarah yelled in frustration. Tacking took fifteen minutes when it was right in front of her. She did not have time to gather it out of separate room.

“Looks like we are going to have to do this without a saddle or reins. This is going to be painful… for the both of us.” Sarah led Daisy out the backdoor of the stables.

“All right, Daisy, stay still,” Sarah weakly commanded as she flung her bag onto her back. Getting on top of this giant horse would not be easy without a saddle, especially since Sarah had never rode a horse without one. Sarah hoisted herself up on the horse’s back, less graceful than she cared to admit.

“Ugh…crap,” Sarah groaned as she finally righted herself on Daisy’s back. Sarah moved forward on the horse and grabbed a hold of her mane. She squeezed her heels into Daisy’s side, and Daisy dashed out into the field, almost accidentally bucking Sarah off her back. Sarah wagered that Daisy was ready to leave as much as see was.

_Where to go? Where to go?_

Heading east would have her running into every kingdom in the Seelie Court. Daisy decided to sprint west. So, west it is.

Several hours passed before Daisy finally came to a stop by a stream, surrounded by woods. Sarah was hunched over using the mane as an impromptu pillow.

“Oh, shit. I’m sore,” Sarah moaned as she straightened her back. Daisy let out a loud neigh and stomped her front hooves against the ground.

“I’m sorry. Sorry,” Sarah said as she more or less fell off the horse. “I know it can’t be easy carrying me around. Although, it _is_ your job.”

Daisy trotted closer to the stream and started to drink. The sun was setting, and Sarah realized that she had no food on her. Sure, Daisy had the grass on the ground, but she had nothing.

“Oh, Daisy, why didn’t you remind me to bring food?” Sarah complained as she slowly descended to the floor resting her head against her horse’s leg.

Daisy finally finished drinking and lied down on the grass which allowed Sarah to use her as a large muscular cushion. Beggars can’t be choosers. Sarah’s eyes stared to close as Daisy’s chewing of grass, a white noise to sleep to. A faint sound in the distance brought Sarah out of semi-consciousness.

“What’s that?” Sarah said sitting up straight. Daisy ignored Sarah and continued to eat the grass. Looking into the distance, Sarah noticed a faded black mist on the horizon. She strained to listen to the noise that initially startled her awake. Wailing and moaning could be heard getting closer to Sarah and her horse.

“Crap. Daisy,” Sarah murmured. “I think we went too far south. That’s a sluagh, and we need to go. _Now_.”

Sarah unceremoniously climbed on top of Daisy as the horse rose to all four legs. Grabbing Daisy’s mane, Sarah steered Daisy north. Daisy started to gallop full speed causing Sarah to hold the horse by the neck. Just as they approaching the tree line, a black cloaked figure appeared in front of them, causing Daisy to abruptly come to a halt throwing Sarah off her back.

Sarah lay splayed on her back on the grass staring straight up at the sky, groaning in pain. The orange sky grew darker as the shadowy figure that caused her literal downfall stood over her.

“What do we have here?” The figured crouched next to Sarah as he moved her hair from her face. “I should be honored. It’s not every day that a member from the Seelie Court visits me. And a Princess no less,” he said as he looked her up and down, “Even if you are dressed in men’s clothing.”

Sarah raised herself on her forearms, unable to bring herself to fully sit up. She quickly took in the stranger next to her. Clothed in all black with black boots, he was covered with a hood that obscured his face except for the long white hair that rest on either side of his shoulder.

“All right. Clearly, you know who I am. Who are you?” She asked hoping that he could not sense how terrified she really was. He removed his hood. The first thing Sarah noticed was his black eyes.

 _Ok. I’m talking to a dark fae. Great._ The next thing she observed was his broad Cheshire cat smile and his long pointed finger nails.

_An Unseelie who wants to kill me. Even better._

Without answering her, the fae took hold of both her upper thigh and her waist. A dull purple light started to emanate from his hands. All fear left Sarah as she quickly sat up and grabbed his wrists.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!”

The fae let out an irritated grunt. Obviously, he was stronger than Sarah, but her thrashing was annoying him.

“Cease your movements!” he yelled. “I’m trying to help you, exhausting female.”

Sarah froze her movements.

“Help me?” The light around her legs grew brighter and brighter.

“You were just thrown from a horse,” he explained as he shot a look to the animal that returned to eating grass as though nothing happened. “It’s impossible for you to have landed without hurting yourself, especially running bareback. Going somewhere in a hurry?”

The purple light was now gone, and Sarah realized that she felt better than she had in days.

_Is purple light some sort of magical spa?_

The fae tilted his head looking at Sarah’s face. “I’m guessing that bruise on your face did not come from the fall.” He reached for Sarah’s face, but she scurried away from him and scrambled to her feet. This odd fae was asking too many questions.

“Long story. It’s quite boring really.” She said, brushing foliage off her jeans. “You never said who you are, by the way.”

The dark fae slowly rose to his feet. “I’ve forgotten my manners. I’m Lochlan, King of the UnSeelies. And, you are trespassing,” he said.

Sarah let out an anxious laugh. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to. I think I fell asleep on my horse. I wasn’t paying attention. We must have gone farther south than we planned. I didn’t mean to intrude or cause any trouble.” Sarah rambled off every possible excuse for how she ended up in an UnSeelie forest.

_Please don’t kill me!_

Just as Sarah started to list off more arbitrary excuses, her stomach let out a loud grumble. Lochlan let out a robust laugh, a laugh that sounded very familiar. But she didn’t have time to consider such frivolities.

“I assume that bag of yours doesn’t have any food,” he said, pointing to the ground where her bag was.

“No,” Sarah said as she pulled the bag over her head. “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Didn’t have much time.”

Lochlan produced a dark crystal and tossed it to Sarah.

“Catch!” he exclaimed.

On instinct, Sarah haphazardly caught the crystal with both hands, which then turned into a large knapsack. “What is this?” She asked as she opened the bag.

“Food for you and that beast of yours, mostly you. Seems the horse is doing just fine,” he said while looking at the horse, which was still grazing. Inside the sack were several carrot sticks, two apples, and a loaf of bread.

Sarah looked at him with confusion written all over her face. “Um, thank you? Why are you doing this? You have no reason to help me.”

“The last thing I need is the dead body of the princess on my lands. Already, have enough problems with the Court. Also, you entertain me, and I want to see how far this goes.”

“How far what goes?” She asked. Lochlan disappeared from his position in front of Sarah and reappeared behind her.

“You and your horse ride north for roughly twenty…what’s that human measurement for distance… Ah, miles. Then turn westward and ride for another ten or fifteen miles or so,” he said.

“And where am I supposed to be going? Some oasis in the desert?” Sarah snorted as she turned toward him. Lochlan gave her a broad smile.

“If you start now, you will make it by mid-morning tomorrow, provided you don’t make any excessive stops,” he explained, ignoring Sarah’s question.

“But…”

“I suggest you leave now. My sluaghs don’t appreciate it when I prevent them from tormenting travelers who have intruded on our lands,” Lochlan interrupted.

Sarah looked behind his shoulder and noticed that a host of slaughs were being held at bay only feet away. “Okay, I’ll leave now,” Sarah mumbled, frozen in place, staring at the floating creatures.

“You’ll need your horse. Also, you will need to move,” Lochlan teased.

“Right. Daisy!” Sarah rushed over to her horse. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted off the ground and placed on the back of the horse.

“I don’t know how you managed to climb aboard that creature without a saddle,” Lochlan smirk as he magically moved her. “But I’ll save you anymore indignities for the day.”

Sarah gave him a relieved smile. “Thanks,” Sarah said as she and Daisy made their way out of the woods, heading north.

“I’ve done my good deed for a lifetime. I’ll be expecting a lovely thank you gift,” Lochlan said as he turned to face the host of sluaghs.

“Don’t give me that look. There will be others that you can torture later. The night is young,” he said as he faded from view.


	10. Chapter 10

_Oh so long for this night I prayed_

_That a star would guide you my way_

* * *

 

Many hours had come and gone with sporadic stops for a carrot or apple break before Sarah and Daisy made their way up a dusty hill. Yet again, Sarah was slumped over, using Daisy's neck as a headrest. The strong wind swirled the dust in every direction. Her long tresses blocked nearly as much of her view as the dust in the air did.

"Ugh," Sarah groaned. "I think it's been thirteen miles. Where's this place anyway?" Daisy let out a small whinny, bobbing her head up and down in frustrated agreement.

As they reached the top of the hill, Sarah's eyes widened in recognition. Before her lay the Labyrinth and in the middle of the maze towered the Castle beyond the Goblin City, a place she had not seen in nearly ten years.

"What?" Sarah gasped. "Why did he tell us to come here?" Sarah asked Daisy who continuously turned her head in every direction, searching for grass in vain.

"Here," Sarah said as she jumped off of the horse.

After cracking a few sore muscles, she reached in her bag and fed Daisy the remaining carrot. While Daisy ate, Sarah wandered back and forth, not taking her eyes off the maze.

"Déjà vu, isn't it? After the other night, I don't think Jareth would really care to see me right now," Sarah said as exhaustion stemming from the past few days events suddenly hit her. She willed the tears forming in her eyes to cease.

Realizing that she did not leave Jareth on friendly terms, suddenly, Sarah felt more alone in this world. At this point in what was left of their turbulent relationship, Sarah would not even consider asking him for help or even expect any. Public humiliation and accusations of lying are not great foundations for any friendship. While she wasn't looking for his help, believing that he would have nothing to do with her hit her hard. Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing that they wouldn't do anything for her. Now is the time to find shelter.

Sarah noticed to her left, in the distance, that the hill sloped downward and, if they kept going left, they would end up in a grassy prairie outside of the Labyrinth. The distance was far but less than a half-day's journey.

"We should go that way," Sarah said to Daisy. "Maybe we can go unnoticed. Find you a nice place to graze on?"

Sarah took a step forward to walk down the hill when she ran head first into a wall. But, there was nothing there.

"What the…" Sarah said as she rubbed her forehead. She continued to tap on the invisible wall in front of her as she sidestepped to the left.

* * *

Sitting at his desk in his study, Jareth dictated a letter to Cormac, who tried his best not to shake while he wrote. Unfortunate elf… still anxious as ever. Thankfully, Jareth did not notice his underling's trepidation. Ever since Jareth returned from the Seelie Palace, he had been running on autopilot. No matter how hard he tried, his mind would wander to that stubborn heir in the Palace. He had no misgivings that she, by now, has finally accepted the fact that he was telling her the truth _._

 _How her world must be falling all around her_ , he thought. That level of betrayal would shake the strongest of creatures.  _Serves her right_ , he thought. _She would be here away from those cretins if she weren't so insolent._ Jareth smirked. No matter how he outwardly railed against Sarah's stalwart behavior, he would never cease to find it oddly charming. At least she kept him on his toes.

Cormac noticed that Jareth had stopped speaking. "You…Your Your Majesty," Cormac stuttered. Jareth placed a hand up to silence the elf.

"What day of the week is it?" Jareth asked, looking out a window.

"It's the first day of the week, sire," Cormac answered.

"Then why in the hell are caravans demanding access?" Jareth said as he shot to his feet. "Or maybe Lochlan sent another draug as a joke to test my defenses. He knows damn well that it wasn't funny the first time."

"Excuse me, Your Majesty?" Cormac sputtered, confused by the seemingly erratic questioning of his King. Jareth turned to the back window in his study.

"Someone is tampering with the barrier again. Hold those thoughts," Jareth said while pointing at the piece of paper the elf held. "I'll be back shortly."

Suddenly, he transformed into his owl form and soared out the window toward the location of the would-be intruder. Soaring high above, Jareth scanned his Labyrinth to ensure no one, or thing, got through. On the small hill at the entrance to his maze, he saw a large cream horse and woman dressed in Aboveground clothing.

 _There's no runner here. And where in the hell did that horse come from?_  Jareth thought.

 _No…It couldn't be._  He swooped down behind the girl and converted back into his fae form.

* * *

Sarah stomped her foot in frustration and ran her hands through her hair. "Why can't I get through?"

"It's there to provide protection against unwanted guests," said the lilting voice behind her. Sarah spun around to see Jareth standing in front of her. The wind blew in her face, her hair covering her face. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

"What a pleasant surprise. I should consider myself humbled to be in the presence of the Fae Princess," Jareth smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I must apologize for my lack of offering to you. However," he remarked while doing a quick once-over, "your wardrobe has seen better days."

Sarah, saying nothing, tried in vain to move her unruly hair from around her face, inadvertently showing the welt on her cheek. Jareth quickly detected the bruise yet schooled his features to hide his fury.

"Look. I just wanted to keep going west until I found a place to rest. I didn't even know where your kingdom was, remember?" she explained, her voice rising to combat that wind. "I didn't come here for help." Sarah looked toward the barren lands she just came through, refusing to make eye contact with Jareth.

"But since I am here, I should tell you that I'm sorry: for not believing you, for doubting you, for treating you poorly. I guess I should have known better, but it's not like something like this happens to me every day so…" Sarah shrugged her shoulders as her statement trailed off. Sarah looked at Jareth who just stared back at her, void of emotion, arms still folded. With the wind blowing through his hair, he looked almost like he did all those years ago.

"If you could just let us through the barrier or give directions to a place that Daisy and I could go, we'll just be on our way. I won't bother you anymore."

Jareth walked passed Sarah and stopped at the Daisy's side. Raising his right hand to the withers of the horse, he encompassed the horse in a pale white light, causing the horse to fade away.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sarah exclaimed as she went to stand between Jareth and Daisy.

"I don't care much for horses in my throne room," Jareth said as he walked away from the confused princess.

_Throne room?_

Sarah turned around to notice that not only was Daisy no longer next to her, but she was in the throne room in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. She stood by the edge of the pit in front of the throne. The room was empty, just like the last time she was there.

"Jinx!" Jareth's voice bellowed through the halls of the castle.

A moment later, a short, round goblin scampered through the main wooden doors of the throne room. He tripped over his feet, causing him to run straight into Jareth's boot. Jareth kicked the goblin away from his shoe, allowing the goblin to stand upright. Jinx saluted Jareth with the sole-less boot on his hand.

"Jinx, there is a new horse in the stables. Her name is Daisy. Tell Sebastian to provide a stall for her and some food and water," Jareth ordered, duly ignoring the odd antics of his subject.

"Yes, sire," Jinx said, revealing that his voice was much lower and gravely than Sarah expected. Jinx ran out the side door toward the stables to deliver the message.

Jareth reached down to pick up the bag that Sarah had dropped on the ground. He walked toward the side entryway. Sarah just stood there, unable to consider a complete sentence or thought.

"I suggest you follow me. This room gets quite drafty during the nights as well as disgusting. Goblins are retched creatures," Jareth said as he continued through the exit.

Sarah gathered her bearings and trailed Jareth through the castle corridors. Walking behind Jareth, Sarah took notice of her surroundings. Brown slate stones covered the ground where they walked as well as the walls. The further they walked away from the throne room, Sarah surmised, the cleaner the corridors were. Various banners and portraits hung from the walls.

 _Where these always here?_  Searching for Toby did not give Sarah enough time for a home tour.

Left turn here.

Right turn there.

Straight ahead for several yards.

Sarah felt as though she was solving another puzzle. Her body was aching, but she dared not complain in front of Jareth. Not only did she not want to whine like she did all those years ago, but she also didn't know where he was taking her. Jareth guarded his emotions so well that Sarah had no inkling of his feelings about her as she wandering his castle…again.

Sarah's mind began to wander to the worst possible scenarios. Maybe he was taking her to a dungeon. Although, if there was any rhyme or reason to this castle, this section of the castle seemed too nice to have a dungeon in the area. Perhaps he has a cell in one of the turrets of the castle. If she asked nicely, maybe he would provide some sort of bed, hopefully with a blanket. She tended to get cold at night.

Taking in the castle that surrounded her, Sarah didn't notice that Jareth had come to a halt, causing her to run into his back. Jareth looked over his shoulder.

"Pardon my back. It has a terrible habit of getting in the way," Jareth teased.

"Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed.

Sarah noticed that they had stopped in front of another hallway, but this one was shorter since she could see a wall at the end that held a large banner depicting an owl in flight. Jareth held out his gloved right hand to Sarah.

"Give me your hand," he directed.

Giving him a wary look, Sarah placed her left hand is his right. He took her hand and placed it against the air in front of them, except Sarah quickly realized that there was not just air in front of her. Jareth held both their hands against the invisible barrier and started to mumble something in…Goblin, Sarah deduced; she had heard him speak it before, sort of. It was such an odd language that she always assumed that was what he spoke when he mumbled. The barrier in front of them started to glow with swirls of red floating though out it. Jareth gave her a confused look before releasing Sarah's hand and walking straight down the hall.

"I have barriers throughout my kingdom and castle, as you now know. You have access to this corridor. Just place your hand on the barrier to gain access," Jareth explained as they came to a halt in front of a tall wooden door on the right hand side of the hallway. Sarah noticed that down this corridor there were only two doors, one on each side.

Jareth opened the door but stayed behind, leaning against the side while still holding her bag. Sarah walked inside the room and nearly gasped at what she saw. Before her was a bedchamber nearly the size of her own. To her left was a sitting area complete with a fireplace against the wall surrounded by two chairs and a small couch. Next to the sitting area was a set of French glass doors that led to a balcony of some sorts. The floors were made of a deep, dark wood that stretched over the entire chamber. Against the center wall was a large, dark, wooden bed with a cream-colored deep button headboard, tufted with deep buttons and a coordinating cream comforter with dark purple accent pillows. The bed was flanked by two circular windows. Across the bed on the opposite wall was a vanity with a padded stool tucked underneath. To her right were two doors.

"The door to the right is the washroom, and to the left of that is the closet," Jareth said as he walked over to the sitting area and placed her bag on the couch.

"You must have travelled for about a day. I suggest you clean yourself up and get some rest," Jareth said as he walked back to the main door.

Sarah may have been exhausted, but she wasn't an idiot. Jareth didn't have to do any of this for her. She had been willing to camp in the wild for the foreseeable future before Jareth came along. A luxurious bedroom was more than generous.

As Jareth was closing the door behind him, Sarah stopped him. "Thank you. You didn't have to do any of this," Sarah said, words failing her for how she truly felt.

He let out a sigh. "No, Sarah, you don't understand. I did have to do this," Jareth said with his back facing her. With that last exchange, he shut the door behind him, leaving Sarah alone in the room.

Jareth walked back through the hallways toward his throne room. Once there, he noticed that the throne room was still devoid of anyone.

"Darcy!" Jareth yelled into the empty room.

In scampered a medium height goblin, with wiry black and grey hair and wearing a blue and white aproned dress.

"Yes, sire," said the goblin while giving her best curtsy.

"I have a guest in the royal corridor. Check in on her throughout the day and night. She's exhausted and therefore might not want any food," he explained. "If she does not awaken by herself by morning, wake her yourself and have her join me in the dining room for breakfast. And don't let anyone know she's here. Well, maybe one other may know... Rasch!"

A green dot nearly blinked into existence in front Jareth next to Darcy.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" exclaimed the excitable imp.

"I'm sending you on another mission. This time don't get distracted by pretty girls," Jareth said, giving the imp a warning look.

"No. No. No, Sire. I'll be more careful," Rasch said, standing tall-ish while giving a salute.

"Go to the Seelie Palace and find out anything you can about Princess Sarah and the actions of the Court. Anything you consider out of place, take note and tell me when you return. I'm giving you three days."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll make you proud, I will," said Rasch, bobbing his head up and down.

Rasch disappeared from the room. Jareth looked over to Darcy, who had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"And what exactly do you feel like chastising me about this time?" Jareth asked as he made his way to his throne. Throwing himself down on his chair, he tossed one leg over the arm of the chair and shared a smile with his chambermaid.

"I may be old, but my hearing ain't impaired," Darcy said. "Did I hear the words 'Princess Sarah' come out of your mouth? As in next ruler of the Seelie Court and girl who solved the Labyrinth and shattered your heart?"

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Shattered is such a strong word…"

"Smashed into a million pieces would be better," Darcy interrupted. "You didn't leave your chambers for a year."

"That's a trivial observation. I still ran my kingdom; I just wanted to be alone." Jareth conjured a crystal, tossing it back and forth. "Besides," Jareth said, becoming more somber. "She didn't know any better."

Darcy was an old goblin, one of the first to have worked in the castle. Spending many of her early years helping raise Jareth gave her the grit she had today. A thick skin was needed to work with him even when he was young. She put up with a lot of his antics as he did hers, to a certain extent.

"And why now, hmm? Did she come back asking for forgiveness? So easily forgave her did you? And you just place her in the royal suites?" Darcy asked.

"Mind your place, Darcy," Jareth warned. "Our long history doesn't excuse how you speak to me. Something happened at the Court that caused her to run away."

"And what would that be?"

"I don't know. That's why I sent that imp to find out what happened," Jareth said.

"All right, then. I'll be heading to her chambers to check on her," Darcy said as she started to walk out of the throne room.

"Oh and Darcy," Jareth called out, gazing into the crystal. "Watch your tone with Sarah. I'll deal with our issues. There's no need to involve yourself in our troubles."

As Darcy gave a bow and left the room, Jareth still sat in his throne. He was finally allowed to be left alone with his thoughts and come to terms with what just transpired. In all the numerous scenarios that ran through his head after the ball, Sarah's running away had never crossed his mind. His castle is nearly a day's ride from the Seelie Palace. The fact that she had made the trek with only her bag and her horse proved to him that this situation has gone horrible awry.

But as much as he hates to admit it, he couldn't have been more pleased to see Sarah standing on top of the hill. Jareth didn't want to express to her how happy he was that she came back to him. He wasn't fool enough parade his feeling out just so she could crush them again. He wasn't going to let her know how he truly felt. Not yet. Their time will come. He won't let her go so easily this time.

* * *

Darcy made her way to the royal corridor and knocked three times, but no one answered. Slowly opening the door, Darcy peered into the room and noticed lingering steam coming from the open bathroom door and a passed-out dark haired woman under the covers of the bed. Near the closet door lay a pile of torn and stained clothes. Darcy leaned down to gather the clothing.

"My goodness, what odd clothing. Going to have to get you some better clothing," Darcy said to the sleeping woman.

Darcy came back several times throughout the day and night, stunned that the fae in the bed did not seem to move an inch the entire time. During her final check of Sarah for the night, Darcy brought back her clothes, cleaned and mended, and left them on the top of the vanity. The dinner that Darcy left just a few hours earlier on the vanity was cold and untouched.

 _Poor thing,_ Darcy thought.  _Must be exhausted_. Darcy grabbed the tray and walked out, remembering to wake her up in the morning, no matter how tired she might be.

The morning light shone through the windows as the birds could be heard singing outside. Unfortunately, none of this could be seen or heard to the fae still buried underneath a pile of blankets.

_Knock Knock Knock_

No sound came from inside the room. Darcy opened the door to find her in the same position as she left her the night before. If not for the steady breathing under the blankets, Darcy would have sworn that she was dead.

"All right. Up you go," Darcy shouted into the room.

Startled, Sarah sat straight up in her bed, clutching the sheets to her chest, searching with blurred vision around the room until she found Darcy.

"H-hello," Sarah stammered out with a scratchy voice.

"Oh, finally. You've been out for nearly an entire day," Darcy said as she walked over to the windows and pulled the partially opened curtains wide.

"I've been out for a day? What time is it?" Sarah asked, rubbing the muck out of her eyes and attempting in vain to straighten her hair.

"It's nearly seven-thirty in the morning. Missed your lunch and dinner yesterday, you did. I don't know what happened to you, but it must have been wearin' on you. I got your clothes fixed for you. Get up and get ready. His Majesty wants you to meet him for breakfast."

"What? Why?" Sarah asked, still not moving.

"The best piece of advice I can give anyone is never ask why the King of the Goblins does anything. It'll just mess up your head," Darcy said with a smile so wide her pointed teeth were on full display.

"I didn't catch your name," Sarah said.

"That's because I didn't give it to you," Darcy replied, laughing. "Name's Darcy. I'm the head housekeeper and the only one allowed in this part of the castle."

"So…you're a goblin?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, I am. And you are an odd looking fae who is going to be late if you don't get out of bed," Darcy said.

"Oh, um. Well, you see, I don't have a nightgown, and I'm not wearing anything. So…"

"Okay, okay. I'll return in ten minutes and not a minute later," Darcy conceded as she stepped out of the room.

Sarah let out a grateful sigh. "Ten minutes. Got it."

As soon as Darcy left, Sarah sprung out of the bed and raced to the bathroom. After taking care of the necessities, Sarah scrubbed her face clean with a floral bar soap. She looked around the bathroom, searching for anything that could actually tame her locks. Remembering the vanity in her chamber, Sarah walked over and found her clothes from the previous day, blue jeans and a grey, long sleeve shirt. After slipping on her newly cleaned clothes, Sarah opened up several drawers until she found a comb and hair ties.

 _Jackpot!_  On the far corner of the vanity, Sarah noticed an arrangement of flowers, purple irises, in a crystal vase.  _Odd,_  Sarah mused.  _I didn't see those yesterday._

Just then Darcy burst through the door, startling Sarah from her musings.

"I told you I'd be back in ten minutes and here I am. Ready?" Darcy asked as she walked out the door, not waiting for an answer. "Follow me to the dining hall," Darcy called out.

Subconsciously rubbing her hands over her grey long sleeves, Sarah followed behind the goblin maid. As she walked the stone hallways, Sarah's nerves started to become strained and tense. She knew at some point she would have to speak to Jareth. She was accepting his hospitality after all. But after sleeping the day away, she had yet given herself enough time to fully process the situation in which she found herself. Her contemplations distracted Sarah so much that she ran into Darcy's back. That was becoming a terrible habit.

"Sorry, Darcy. I lost track of my surroundings," Sarah said with a sheepish grin.

"Well, make sure you pay more attention," Darcy chastised. "We goblins may be hardy, but we don't like being run over by everyone."

"Jareth doesn't run into you guys?" Sarah questioned.

"His Majesty does as he pleases," Darcy said with a nod.

"Thank you, by the way." Sarah said. "For the flowers. They were everywhere at my home. Both homes, actually. I miss them."

Darcy gave Sarah an incredulous look. "Why would I be giving you flowers? I a goblin. Why would I give those repulsive things to you for?" Darcy asked.

Sarah looked to her right and noticed two tall double doors.

"That's the dining hall. His Majesty takes some of his meals there, including today's breakfast," Darcy explained as she walked over to the door to open it.

"Thanks," Sarah said as she walked through the held door.

The first object that caught Sarah's attention was the magnificent crystal and gold chandelier descending from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Brown stone covered the floor and walls. To her left was a white marble fireplace, unlit. The wall in front of her contained one large, circular window while the wall to her right had two square windows. The main feature of the room was the lengthy, dark wood dining table. Eight red, padded seats flanked either side of the table with a large, winged chair at the head of the table. The table was set for only two: one for the head of the table and the other setting was to her left.

"From years of experience, I can tell you that it is easier to eat while sitting rather than standing," came a voice on the opposite end of the hall.

Sarah looked toward the direction of the voice and noticed Jareth leaning against the wall by a door off to the side.

 _Funny,_  Sarah thought.  _Totally didn't see him there. He's good at that._

Dressed in grey breeches, with black boots, and a low cut long sleeved black shirt, Jareth cut more of a dashing figure in the morning, especially compared to Sarah.

"Always knew you were good at disguises. But, I never thought that you could have blended in with a wall," Sarah said. Jareth pushed himself off the wall and walked toward the dining table.

"My dear, Sarah, I'm good, but I'm not that good," Jareth said as he pulled out a chair.

"No need to ever give you compliments," Sarah nearly murmured as she sat in the chair Jareth was holding.

Jareth leaned over to whisper in Sarah's ear, "I'll never turn down anything you have to offer, Precious." Jareth walked over to his seat at the head of the table as Sarah covered her mouth in an attempt to stave off the red in her cheeks.

"Jerk," Sarah mumbled to herself while untying her hair to allow it to tumble over the sides of her face, hoping her hair would cover the blush rising in her cheeks.

If Jareth heard Sarah's remark, he did not acknowledge it. Instead, he sat back in his chair with a small grin and snapped his gloved fingers. From the side door, in walked two goblins carrying two covered trays and placed them in front of Jareth and Sarah. They hastily uncovered the trays and departed the room. Toast, eggs, and fruit greeted a ravenous Sarah. Not forgetting her manners, she waited for Jareth to start eating before taking a bite. A few seconds of waiting went by before Sarah turned to Jareth to see why he hadn't eaten anything yet. Jareth was just sitting there with a self-satisfyed smirk on his face.

"Why aren't you eating? And why are smiling like that?" Sarah demanded, too hungry to care about how rude she sounded. Jareth picked up his fork but still did not touch his plate. Instead he tossed some fruit around with his fork.

"You haven't eaten a real meal in at least two days, and yet you still insist on using proper protocol," he said, lazily pushing the eggs across the plate.

"You're supposed to eat first. I'm showing you respect," she ground out. "It's only appropriate."

"I don't quite feel up to eating at this moment," Jareth said, twirling the fork around his fingers.

Sarah was near her wits end. "I can shove the food down your face. Will you feel like eating then?" she asked.

Not wanting to test whether or not Sarah would cause him bodily harm, he finally started eating. Neither one of them spoke while they ate. Sarah was halfway through her breakfast when Jareth stopped eating to lean back in his chair, chin in hand, staring at Sarah. She continued to eat, not noticing that he had ceased eating.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm housing a high member of the Seelie Court in my castle, who just happened to arrive without an escort? Or why you have that hideous blemish on your face," Jareth said. "Or are we going to continue to pretend that you being here is typical?"

"What do you know so far?" Sarah asked, mouth filled with food, not looking up at him.

"That a princess in human clothing arrived at my Labyrinth's border dressed in Aboveground clothing. The End," Jareth said as his eyes bored into Sarah.

Sarah placed her fork down and looked up at Jareth. "You haven't heard anything? From anyone?"

Jareth slowly shook his head. "No word has come from the Palace."

"The day after you gave me your memories, I remembered a small opening in my closet that I used to keep items in. I found your letters. All of them. You were right," she muttered. Sarah stared at the half-eaten food in front of her no longer hungry.

"I became angry, extremely angry. But I didn't care anymore; all I wanted answers. This wasn't just about you; It was about everything. I've always known that others weren't treated the way I was. But I accepted that, until now. I wanted them to tell me why," Sarah rambled. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I decided to go my father's office. But before I made it there, I heard many voices coming from the study. He rarely sees so many people at once. Plus, I heard familiar voices. So, I stopped to listen. Every ruler from the Seelie Court was there. Umm… well, except the Queen of the Pixies and King of the Centaurs...they weren't there," Sarah mused.

"Not surprising. They have less to do with the Court than I do," Jareth said.

"Odd. Anyway, I heard them talk about an arranged marriage.  _My_  arranged marriage. To the Crown Prince of the Elves," Sarah said with disgust.

"And?" Jareth pressed. His hand under his chin was clenched into a fist.

"The kings kept arguing that it wasn't fair that the Elven prince marry me. And my father said something about how the Elven King helped him, but I didn't hear why. He didn't explain. I became more upset. I rushed into the room and began arguing with my parents. That's when he hit me," Sarah said, almost in a whisper as tears began to form. Sarah moved her hand to her fading bruise, surprised to find that it still hurt so much. Jareth continued to stare at Sarah, a burning rage simmering underneath his mask of indifferent listening.

"I became furious. He told me to leave, and I said no. I said it twice, I think. When I said it the second time, I opened my eyes to find that everyone was passed out. I thought they were dead; I thought I killed them. But I made sure that they were alive. And then I just ran. Muiriol helped me escape." She covered her mouth with her hand, distraught. "Oh god, I hope she's okay."

After Sarah finished her story, she placed her head in her hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

Sarah turned to Jareth, who she had practically ignored throughout her entire story, to see his eyes wide, a look of amazement on his face.

"What?" She was confused by the dumbfounded look on his face.

He leaned into her. "How did you do that?" Jareth asked with astonishment.

Sarah's eyes became wide as well, but with confusion. "Do what?"

Jareth let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "To kill a fae is an incredible feat but attainable. All you needs is iron. To incapacitate a room full of powerful faes is unheard of. Your father may overestimate how powerful he is, but you can't just disable him or the others."

"So… what you're saying is what I did was hard to accomplish," Sarah tried to comprehend.

"What you did is impossible to do," Jareth countered. He stood up from his chair and paced around the dining hall.

"That makes no sense. If a fae can be killed, he can be disabled," Sarah reasoned. It made sense in her head, but then again, she was the one without magic training.

"No, Sarah, he can't. To take the life from something is easy, even if it is vicious and tragic. Like I said, just take some iron and jab it through some skin. But you, Precious," he said while shaking an appreciative finger at her. "You caused incapacity without death. Somehow, you were able to restrict their magic with yours."

"And this has never been heard of before?" Sarah questioned.

"Yes, of course. But only in magical theory. Alongside other various hypothesis of how, with enough magic, faes can take over the Aboveground and dwarves can turn into elves," he snorted.

Sarah looked at him with confusion. "I'm guessing those two things aren't possible."

Jareth scoffed. "No, of course not."

"Well that's what happened. I don't know what else to tell you," Sarah said, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

Jareth's pacing came to a stop, and, suddenly, he turned to walk out of the dining hall. Sarah jumped out of her chair to follow him.

"Where are you going?" Sarah called out, trying to catch up with him. Jareth's long gait caused Sarah to have to nearly jog to catch up to him.

"To the library," he called back to her. "I need to find where this idea was written. Everything just became a lot more fascinating."

 


	11. Chapter 11

_Girl you just don't realize_

_What you do to me_  

* * *

 

Jareth and Sarah sat at a long table, opposite each other, in the library, reading their respective books. Jareth was scanning large tomes of magical theory books. Sarah found a large section of Aboveground books Jareth had in his possession and decided to read a book from his collection. From the looks of Jareth's library, she learned quickly that he had a love for Aboveground politics and history. Since she knew next to nothing about magic or its various theories, she thought she should at least find a way to keep quiet and out of his way. An hour or two passed when Jareth finally broke the silence.

"So, Sarah, how has your life been these past few years?" Jareth asked, starring down at an open book.

"Why would you care about my boring human life?" Sarah said in jest.

"Just thought I should break the uncomfortable silence," Jareth answered. "I am capable of being thoughtful."

"I didn't find it uncomfortable. I'm fine sitting here with you." Sarah caught what she said, silently cursing the fact that she said it out loud. A satisfied smile could be seen on Jareth's face as he looked up from the book he was reading.

"I lived in Seattle," Sarah said, steering the conversation away from her embarrassing statement. "It's kinda far away from my childhood home, rains a lot there," Sarah started to feel a bit nostalgic.

"And a mate?" Jareth tried to ask in a nonchalant way, but it came off terser than he would have liked. His shoulders tensed, and he did not look up from the book he was reading. Jareth didn't come off as someone who was an open book himself, but Sarah saw straight through him. She found his efforts at appearing uncaring as oddly charming.

"No, I didn't have a  _mate_. I did, however, have a boyfriend a few months ago, but that didn't last. He turned out to a jerk."

Jareth shoulders noticeably relaxed at Sarah's admission. "And your profession?"

"I was as a private music teacher, mostly piano. Sometimes violin but most parents can't stand the learning process needed to learn the violin."

"And why is that?" Jareth stopped reading, his full attention on Sarah.

Sarah let out a small chuckle. "Have you heard someone play the violin badly? Sounds like cats dying."

"Dealing with children as your occupation? I'm surprised I didn't hear another wish from you," Jareth laughed out.

"Hey, I learned my lesson: no wishing away kids, or anyone, for that matter. Besides, it's not like you would have come anyway," Sarah said in a plaintive tone. She looked back down at her book, not wanting to see Jareth's reaction to her flippant statement. She quickly realized that she steered the conversation in a direction she hadn’t meant to.

Jareth closed the book he was reading and sat back in his chair. "And what do you mean by that?" Jareth said, sounding affronted.

"I asked for my friends for years, and no one came. I still kept that stupid vanity because I thought that was the only way they could come through."

Jareth tried to remain calm, his gloved hands clenched and unclenched slowly. "But did you wish…"

"To see them? I wished for them every day for five years," Sarah pleaded.

"Did you wish for me?" Jareth's raised voice challenged. Sarah looked away for a few seconds then turned her eyes to the glaring Goblin King.

"No. No, I didn't," Sarah replied, staring at her fingernails as though they were the most interesting things in the world.

"And yet you claim I wouldn't come when asked?"

"They told me they would always be there if I called," Sarah explained. Jareth gave a harsh sneer.

"As if a bumbling beast, a dim dwarf, or a foolhardy fox would have any idea how magic between the realms works."

Sarah slammed her book on the table. "Why do you have to be so mean to them? They had to know something. They stayed with me throughout the night…"

Jareth rose out of his chair and tossed all the books on the floor.

"Because I allowed it!" Jareth yelled as he gripped the edge of the table.

Sarah's eyes became wide with surprise and then quickly looked away at the floor.

"They were there because I allowed them to be there!" he yelled. "Once you said those dreadful last words, you only had access to those from my kingdom until sunrise. Those useless louts shouldn't have made that promise."

Jareth bowed his head, struggling to calm his temper. "You never did appreciate the things I did for you."

After a few moments, she looked up at him and asked, "Why did you allow them to stay with me?"

He let out a soft chuckle as he sat back down in his chair. "Why do I do anything?"

Sarah crossed her arms. "I'm being serious."

"So am I," Jareth countered, eyes ablaze, his chiseled features expressing anger. Attempting to calm his nerves, he created a crystal, mindlessly tossing it back and forth. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Jareth spoke.

"Why were you so intent on seeing your friends?" Jareth questioned.

"Is it not enough that they were my friends? Why would I not want to speak to them?" Sarah countered.

"Why would you want to speak to a group whose collective brain power is that of a newt?"

Sarah rubbed her temples. "I wondered how long it would take for you to start with the insults again."

"They're only insults if the descriptions aren't true," Jareth countered.

"I wanted to see them because I missed them. And I might have had some questions that I thought they could answer," Sarah said, hoping to quell Jareth's verbal abuse toward her former companions.

Sarah had his full attention now. "What questions?"

"Didn't I just say I wanted to ask  _them_  questions?" Sarah intoned. Jareth slouched in his chair and stared into his crystal.

"You might have to repeat yourself several times, especially to the dwarf. Language is a hard thing for him to grasp," Jareth said dismissively.

"All right. Don't want to have an adult conversation? That's fine by me," Sarah said as she rose from her seat and grabbed the book she was reading. She started walking toward the door when Jareth stopped her.

"Sarah, stop," he said, sounding defeated.

Sarah turned to face him. "Yes, Jareth," sounding just as drained.

"It's almost time for lunch. Follow the crystal," he said as he released the crystal. "It will take you where you need to go." The crystal floated past Sarah and to the library doors.

"Thanks," Sarah said, almost apologetically, as she started to follow the crystal.

"Wait," he called out as he stood up and walked toward Sarah. He brought a gloved hand to the bruise on her face. A warming light surrounded her cheek, causing the bruise on her face to disappear.

"Such a beautiful face shouldn't be marred with something so abhorrent," Jareth said softly.

Sarah rubbed her cheek, taking note of the lack of pain she felt. She looked up at Jareth who was walking back to his seat.

"Thank you," she nearly whispered, touched by his actions.

"It's not a problem, Precious," he said, not looking at her while picking the books off the floor.

* * *

 

Following the orb through the corridors, Sarah's head started to ache. For years in the Aboveground, she had wanted answers from Jareth, not her friends, regardless of what she told him. But it seems that every time they tried to talk about important matters, neither could couldn't stay away from pushing the other’s buttons, either directly or indirectly.

The time for a serious talk would come later. Now, Sarah was hungry and readily accepting of Jareth's offer for lunch. The orb came to a stop in front of a wooden door. Turning the knob and pushing the door, Sarah stepped out into an expansive garden with flowers growing in every direction. Before she could properly look around, Sarah noticed the orb dash to the left. As she turned to follow the orb, she saw what she never thought she would see again: a large orange beast, a gallant fox on a Merlin look-alike, and anxious-looking dwarf. Sarah stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, my ...," she whispered to herself.

"M'Lady!" barked Sir Didymus, who was astride Ambrosius. The two of them galloped toward Sarah as she kneeled to the ground to catch them in an embrace.

"SAWAH!" bellowed Ludo, who was now standing in front of her.

"Ludo!" Sarah exclaimed, jumping up into the beast's arms. Lucky he was a gentle beast, because his friendliest hugs always caused her to nearly lose her breath.

"Oh Ludo," Sarah strained to get out. "I missed you too, but you should let go." Ludo gently placed Sarah back on the ground. As Sarah brushed out her clothes, she noticed the tale-tell sound of trinkets. Sarah smiled and looked around Ludo to see the timid dwarf fidgeting with his bag of knick-knacks as he shuffled forward to the group.

"Hi-Hiya, Sarah," Hoggle said as he brushed the ground with his feet. Sarah dropped to her knees to give her old friend a crushing hug.

"Hoggle! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Hoggle raised his hands to hug Sarah back. "Y-Ya are?"

Sarah pulled Hoggle back to look at him in the eye. "Of course, I am, Hoggle. Why would you think otherwise?"

"It's just… we haven't seen you in such a long time. I just assumed…"

"…That I would forget about you?" Sarah said, completing his thought. Hoggle looked to the side, ashamed.

"Oh, Hoggle," Sarah sighed. "I would never forget you. Any of you," Sarah said as she looked at each of her friends. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"We had direct orders from His Majesty to meet here at mid-day, m'lady," Sir Didymus responded. "The missive came late last evening."

"Why?" She asked as she stood back up.

"Probably for food," Hoggle said as he pointed to the stone seating area laid out with food.

"You guys are here for lunch?" Sarah mused as Ludo started walking toward the table of food.

Sir Didymus' steed started charging after Ludo toward the food. "Ambrosius! Stop this instant! It's not proper to run to meals!"

"Seems like it," Hoggle said as he grabbed Sarah's hand, guiding her to the table.

As the group sat down to eat, Sarah listened to each one of her friends recount the past few years to her. Apparently, Ludo and Sir Didymus live as roommates near the Bog of Eternal Stench. Well, most of the time. Ludo leaves on a "sabbatical" due to the stench, although Didymus insisted that his "brother is terribly mistaken". His sense of smell was extremely keen after all. Hoggle spoke about how he continued to work as a gardener and sometimes tasked with distracting runners, but not often, for obvious reasons.

As Sarah listened to their stories, she gazed up to one of the castle's windows perched almost two stories above their heads. Peering down at the reunited group was the Goblin King. When Sarah caught his eye, he gave her a curt nod and left the window as she went back to eating and conversing with her friends.

* * *

 

Jareth moved away from the window, near collapsed in his chair and placed his feet on the desk in front of him. Just then, Avitus walked in with a leather satchel in hand.

"You've returned already? I'm afraid to ask what methods you used to accomplish your task so soon," Jareth said without looking at his advisor.

"Yes, well, turns out some are more motivated than others to learn, especially when they knew I would be there until things are correct," Avitus smirked as he walked to Jareth and handed him the satchel. "A detailed report of all that occurred is in the bag. I thought of sending these ahead of me, but I just couldn't be too careful."

Jareth grabbed the satchel from Avitus and tossed it to the floor without giving it any regard.

"Also, I just received word from Governor Tearlach that the Beltane preparations are on schedule. He wanted to assure you that there will be ample supplies of Goblin Ale this year. No shortages like the other year. No one wants to hear you ranting about that again," Avitus explained. Jareth continued to not say anything. Instead, he sat in his chair, chin in hand, and stared off to the side at the cold, empty fireplace.

"I do not wish to speak out of turn, Your Majesty, but how did that girl make it back to the Underground? I noticed her sitting outside. Did she wish away her brother again?" Avitus sat in his chair opposite his king.

Jareth let out a derisive snort, remembering that only few people in the Seelie Court had ever seen Sarah as Princess Sarah. To those few in his kingdom who knew of her, she was known as just Sarah, the human girl who beat the Goblin King at his own game and won back her brother against all odds. To even fewer, she was known as the girl who broke his heart, although he would never admit that out loud.

"No. She is not a runner. She's here as a guest, an anonymous guest," Jareth said in warning tone.

Avitus dropped his head in his hands. "Do I even want to know what is going on?"

"No, you don't," Jareth said as he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. "Speak none of this to anyone. You don't know she's here, and ensure that the knowledge of her presence does not leave this castle."

Avitus started to become agitated with concern. "Sire, what is going on?"

Jareth continued to write. "The less you know the better, old friend. Tell me, have you heard any odd news or rumors from any members of the Seelie Court while you were out?"

"No. The last thing I heard from the Court was before I left the castle. Rumor has it that the Crown Prince of the Elves and the Princess of the Faes are to be wed. You hate royal weddings more than anything, so I didn't think to bother you with such rumors."

"From now on, any anecdote, no matter how trivial, you report to me immediately. Understood?" Jareth melted wax over the freshly scribed paper and pressed his seal in the lower corner. He handed the paper over to his advisor.

"What is this?" Avitus asked.

"A memo I want sent to all the governors and council-members detailing instructions if they happen to run into a wandering human."

Avitus read over the announcement which stated that if anyone found a stout human woman with red hair to have her safely sent to the Castle. A reward will be given.

"Humans wonder into our kingdom all the time. What makes this one so special? Does she have relation to the girl?"

"What part of the 'less you know' do you not understand?" Jareth said as he put away his seal and paper.

"Yes. Of course, Sire," Avitus said as he stood up to walk out of the study. "If I may make a suggestion, Your Majesty? This girl is clearly still important to you. You may want to consider adding an additional barrier around the castle proper to ensure her safety."

Jareth gave his advisor an appreciative nod. "Thank you. I didn't think of that, but I will place one up this evening."

Just as Avitus stepped out of the room, he turned back to his king. "Oh, and one more thing, Your Majesty: this may be your last chance to win favor with the girl. Might I suggest a toning down of your temper?"

"And lose my undeniable charm? Avitus, I would hate for anyone to find me as dull as you," Jareth teased. Avitus, having viewed the battle as lost, let out a sigh and left to fulfill Jareth's orders.

* * *

 

Sarah sat at the table in the garden, alone, her friends having left a few moments earlier. The crystal that guided Sarah to lunch was still hovering over her. She thought about figuring out if the crystal would show the way to her room but decided to sit quietly among the flowers.

Sarah heard a small rustle behind her near the hedge bushes. She recognized the silhouette of wild hair casting a shadow on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Sarah quickly said, without turning around. "I shouldn't have blamed you for a something that never occurred. I blamed you, and I was wrong." Sarah winced slightly at her apology. She never liked saying she was wrong. "You're right when you said I didn't appreciate all you did for me. So, thanks… for everything."

Jareth walked over to the opposite side of the table and sat down.

"And here I thought I was going to be met with objects being thrown at my head," Jareth smirked.

"I'm capable of admitting when I'm wrong. It just might take me a while to do it," She shrugged.

Jareth's face fell to a more subdued expression. "Since you admitted fault, I guess it's only fair that I do as well: I lost my temper with you; I shouldn't have raised my voice. That seems to be a habit of mine. I'm sorry as well," Jareth said as he straightened his gloves. Clearly, he also was not accustomed to apologizing.

"Obviously. You did send the cleaners on me."

"You insulted my Labyrinth," Jareth countered, his steely eyes bored into her. Sarah could not hold back the smile she tried hard to repress.

"All I said was that it was a piece of cake," Sarah explained.

Jareth leaned in, placed his elbow on the table, and brought his fisted hand to his chin. "It's not supposed to be a piece of cake."

"That sounds like a personal problem to me," Sarah said. Jareth's laugh rang out throughout the garden.

"You really do have a loud laugh," she mused. "Are you sorry for the way you spoke about my friends?"

"Of course not. They're still imbeciles. I'm not going to apologize for making clear observations," Jareth said as he waved a hand in a dismissive manner.

"Well, I tried," she shrugged. "And thank you for allowing me to have lunch with them. That was nice of you."

Jareth gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"So," she paused, slightly unsure if she should ask this question. "Why did you allow them to stay with me that night?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't be able to see them again, at least for a very long time. They were important to you," he explained.

The fact that, even after losing against her, Jareth still cared about her enough to want her happiness by allowing her friends to stay with her as long as possible, even though they were instrumental in helping her win. She’d never really comprehended how much it seemed Jareth cared for her.

_I guess things aren't what they seem, even Goblin Kings._

"So, you came down here only to apologize?" Sarah asked.

"That and to ask you if you would care to join me for dinner this evening," Jareth said as he, again, straightened the gloves on his hands.

_Still trying to show that he doesn't care._

"Sure," she said with a small smile. "Hope you don't mind my jeans. It's all I brought with me."

"Ah, about that: Darcy said your new wardrobe should be available when you return to your room."

"New wardrobe? No one measured me for new clothes," Sarah said, taken aback.

"I told her to take those clothes in that bag of yours to the head seamstress for your measurements. Luckily, she said that your men's clothing should work well enough," Jareth explain. Sarah was flabbergasted.

"Men's clothing? Wait. You went through my clothes…"

Jareth gave Sarah a mischievous smirk. "Still have a thing against others touching your stuff?"

"Hey, it's my stuff," Sarah answered.

"And it's my castle," Jareth refuted. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Fine. And thank you, I guess. For the new clothes," she clarified, “not for going through my bag."

Jareth rose from his seat and walked next to where Sarah was seated. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned over. "Now was that so hard, hm?"

Sarah turned her narrowed eyes on Jareth.

"Come now, Sarah. Just imagine us having a conversation where we don't try to verbally assault the other."

"Aww," Sarah said in mock disappointment. "Then we'd be stuck with boring chats where we ask each other what our favorite color is."

"Purple," Jareth answered.

"Huh?" Sarah said, confused, turning around in her seat.

"You're favorite color is purple, but you sometimes like blue, especially when you're not feeling happy," Jareth said matter-of-factly. Remembering that she probably told him that in their previous correspondence, Sarah was amazed he still recalled that information.

"And yours is…black?" She guessed.

"No," Jareth snickered, walking away.

"Oh come on!" Sarah called after him. "What is it?"

As he started to fade from view, he said, "Sounds like something that you will have to find out during a  _boring_  dinner conversation, Precious."

* * *

 

Following the crystal ball that guided her down the hallways, Sarah kept fidgeting with her new dress. The lovely dark green A-line dress with a pleated bodice fit her perfectly.

 _The seamstress is a genius._ Having spent the past few years in jeans, wearing a dress felt alien to Sarah, even after being back in the Underground. Opening the door into the dining hall, Sarah walked behind the crystal orb, which floated toward the head of the table where Jareth was standing. The crystal popped and disappeared.

"Hey! That crystal was helpful," Sarah complained.

"Too helpful. You can't go about the castle, following a crystal. You need to learn where you are going," Jareth explained as he pulled Sarah's chair out.

"Fine. But you're going to have to give me a detailed tour of this place. I have a horrible sense of direction," Sarah said as she sat down in the chair.

Jareth suppressed a grin, thrilled that Sarah outright demanded that he show her his castle. His mind briefly wondered what else Sarah might demand of him. Jareth always considered himself a generous king.

As the food was being served, Sarah continued to pick at the fabric of her dress.

"Not up to your standards?" Jareth asked. The garment surely met his standards. He knew it would take a lot of self-control to stop him from leering at Sarah throughout dinner. Unfortunately, self-control was not a trait Jareth was known for.

"No. It's not that. It's gorgeous. I'm just not used to wearing dresses again," Sarah said. "Sure, I wore them all the time before going Above, but it's just weird now." Sarah turned in her seat to face Jareth and motion to her dress. "So, what do you think of the dress?"

 _I think you're the most amazing female I've ever met,_ he thought _. I want you in my bed all day and night. You shall be my Queen, and I'll never allow you to leave me again._

"I think it's a dress," Jareth answered.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Typical," she muttered while picking up her fork.

"Speaking of oddities, I must tell you that I have heard nothing about what you said happened at the Court the other day…"

"You don't think I'm lying, do you?" Sarah interjected with slight terror lacing her voice.

"Peace, Sarah. I know you’re not lying. What I was saying is that they are making certain that what happened does not become public knowledge. There hasn't even been word that you’re missing," Jareth explained.

Sarah's shoulders slightly slumped. "And what do you think that means?"

"No one lets his heir go without taking some action…"

"Then why would they not want anyone to know that I've gone missing?" Sarah interjected, again. Jareth shot Sarah a look.

"Must you always interrupt?"

"Sorry," she whispered.

"The King and Queen will want you back, make no mistake about that. But there has to be a reason why they believe it's more beneficial to keep your absence hidden than exposed," Jareth said.

"Great. Now, I'm just a giant conspiracy theory," Sarah said, dropping her fork on her plate, no longer hungry.

"I'm raising another barrier around the castle grounds, for your protection. It's similar to the one you encountered on the hill," he said.

Sarah gave him a sly smile. "So ,no second running of the Labyrinth then?" she joked.

"Want a rematch, do you?" he asked as a lascivious smile spread across his face.

"I'm the reigning victor. It's whether or not you want a rematch," Sarah said, pointing at him. Jareth feigned biting at her finger.

"Hey! No biting," she said, quickly retracting her hand.

"Do you apply that rule to all situations?" Jareth smirked.

"Bastard," she mumbled to the side. The room was definitely getting warmer, regardless of the small breeze coming through the dining hall.

"Yes. A rematch, but this time we both use magic," Jareth said, thoroughly pleased with his antics.

"The rematch now contains magic? That's not…" Sarah caught herself.

Jareth leaned forward to stare at Sarah. "That's not  _what_ , Precious?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"That's not… reasonable. I don't even know how to use my magic," she explained.

"Which is why I will teach you. Tomorrow. Once you learned the basics, you will run my Labyrinth again with a more magical flare. Besides, you're too old to not even have had a single magic lesson," he said. Sarah's face suddenly became forlorn.

"I forget how far behind I am, in everything really," she mused.

"You left at thirteen, came back looking as though you're eight hundred, and yet you have the magical skills of toddler," Jareth said.

"Well, thanks," Sarah deadpanned. "You made me feel so much better about myself."

"I'll always be here to make you feel better, Sarah. Finished?" he said, gesturing to her plate.

"Yeah. I'm feeling pretty tired anyway," she said as Jareth came over to pull back her chair.

When Sarah stood, Jareth offered his arm, which she took. Walking through the halls of the castle, Sarah felt oddly calm and peaceful at Jareth’s side. Just a month ago, she’d wondered if he wanted her dead. Peculiar, how things had turned out.

When they stopped in front of Sarah's door, she rotated the handle and turned to face Jareth, her hand still on the knob. Sarah looked up at Jareth to see him staring at her with a look of restrained longing in his eyes.

"By the way, thank you for the flowers," Sarah said, trying not to let him affect her.

"Flowers?" Jareth challenged as he stepped closer and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders. "Now, why would the mean, cruel, and heartless Goblin King do something frivolous like giving flowers to a girl?" Jareth dipped his head to the crook of Sarah's neck as he whispered in her ear, "That does seem out of character."

Sarah attempted to still her racing pulse while trying to act unfazed, ignoring the small goose bumps that ran up her arms.

"Only you and Darcy are allowed down here, you said," she reasoned. "When I told her about them, she acted as though flowers were poison. So, thank you, mean, cruel, and heartless Goblin King. The flowers were sweet." Sarah cupped Jareth's head with her hands and placed a quick kiss on his forehead. His eyes went wide, unable to hide the surprised expression on his face.

"Purple irises: they're one of my favorites," Sarah said as she walked backward into her chamber.

"I know," Jareth whispered, still a bit stunned.

"Goodnight, Jareth," Sarah said in a sing-song tone, peering behind the entryway as she slowly closed the door.

Standing alone in the hallway, staring at her closed door, he replied, "Goodnight, Precious."

 


	12. Chapter 12

_Oh it's magic when I'm with you_

* * *

"Sarah! Focus!" Jareth barked as he paced back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Jareth. I was so distracted by this butterfly. I found it so much more interesting than whatever you were saying... Of course, I'm focusing!" Sarah snapped as she rose to her feet and placed her hands on her hips. "Stop being irritable."

For the past hour or so, Sarah and Jareth had been sitting in the castle gardens, attempting to gain control over her magic. After breakfast, Jareth began the magic training, which so far consisted of meditation. He told Sarah that she must find her magic by quieting her mind and searching for a connection. The whole notion sounded ridiculous to Sarah, but Jareth's methods were all she had. What she didn't understand was Jareth's impatience.

"You're not doing it right," Jareth complained as he stalked toward her.

"How could you possible know that," Sarah held her arms out in exasperation. "I'm meditating the best way I know how."

"It shouldn't be taking this long," he said, pacing again.

"How long does this  _magical connection_ , or whatever you call it, take to bond?"

"It depends. Two weeks to several months," Jareth shrugged casually.

Sarah was beside herself with disbelief. "What? And you're freaking out because a few minutes have gone by."

"Actually, it's been an hour," Jareth clarified. Sarah crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.

"Really," she deadpanned.

"Sarah, you don't quite comprehend the nature of things. The magic inside you is not natural. No, that's not right. It's not…"

"Normal?" Sarah answered.

"Correct. It's not normal. The regular time frame for a connection should be different as well," he said.

"Okay. Sure, that makes sense. But, can you at least wait for a few hours to pass before you turn on your crazy?" she implored.

"Sarah, we don't have much time."

"Much time? We don't even know what's going on," she reasoned.

"Even more of a reason to be swift about these things," he said, arms crossed.

"Well, I can't focus if you keep pacing back and forth, back and forth. Do you know just how annoying that is? You're impeding my development," Sarah said as she sat back on the grass.

Jareth hovered over her and tilted his head to the side. "Don't be so dramatic, Precious. It makes you look haggard."

Sarah soared to her feet and pushed Jareth hard enough for him to stumble back, almost losing his footing.

"Shut up, Jareth! I'm tired of your spiteful comments!"

In an instant, Sarah's eyes flashed red before returning to their normal green.

"Sarah, stop!" he commanded as he held out a palm to halt her.

"What now?" she demanded.

"Your eyes. They were red, but only for moment," he explained.

Sarah's anger quickly dissipated. "Really?" Her hands touched the skin around her eyes. "Wh-what does that mean?"

"At the Seelie palace, you said you felt unusually warm before everyone lost consciousness. Did you feel that way just now?"

"Um…no. Yes? Not really. Well, a little. I didn't feel as warm just now. But, everyone feels hot when they get mad," she rationalized.

"No. No. Your magic has manifested itself every time you were under duress," he said.

"But you're still conscious," she said.

"Which is a good thing. Seems as though I did not push you far enough," Jareth mused.

Exasperated, Sarah threw up her arms. "That's stupid. I can only use magic when I'm upset," she complained.

"Doesn't seem a hard feat to accomplish," he joked. Sarah shot him a warning look. Jareth raised his palms in the air. "Only joking, Precious. It's possible that your magic is strongest when coinciding with a strong emotion- not necessarily anger. Let's test this hypothesis, shall we? Close your eyes and hold out your hand, palm side up." Sarah did as instructed.

"Now, think of an emotion, any emotion. However, preferably one that does not cause me physical harm," Jareth jested. With her eyes closed, she searched her thoughts for an emotion that could be strong enough to access her magic. She sensed a warm sensation in her body as the magical connection took hold. All the while, the thought of that wild hair fae swirled around her mind.

Suddenly, a small fire ball formed, hovering above her palm.

"Sarah!" Jareth whispered with excitement. "Open your eyes."

She did as instructed and immediately realized she was holding...

"Fire! Why am I holding fire?" Sarah stretched her arm out further from her body. Jareth encircled her wrist with his hand, ensuring that in her panic she didn't drop the sphere. The fire ball swirled around itself and formed a red crystal. Sarah let out the breath she had not realized she was holding.

"Oh, good. It's no longer fire," Sarah said. Jareth continued to stare at her hand with astonishment in his eyes.

"Okay. I have crystal. What do I do with it?" Sarah said. "Hello? I finally made a crystal. Are we going to do anything?" Sarah waved the crystal around the air.

"Do you realize what you did?" Jareth whispered.

"I made a crystal. And, why are we whispering?" she whispered back.

"You're magic manifested itself as fire, pure energy," Jareth clarified.

"And I'm guessing that's not normal also?" she asked slowly. "I'm starting to think that I'm a freak."

"Seelie faes' magic manifests itself in white or blue," Jareth explained. "Unseelie's always purple—"

"But yours is clear," Sarah interjected; Jareth gave a small smile

"And your magic is red. We fae derive our magic from the world around us. The energy of the Undergound fuels our magic. But you, Sarah, must be harnessing your own magical energy- an island unto yourself."

"If this has never happened before, how do you know this? Maybe my magic finds blue and white to be boring colors. My magic just wants to be unique," Sarah said, trying to convince herself.

"I came across this idea while in the library the other day. I wondered if it applied to you since red showed up in the barrier in our corridor. All of this has only been thought of as hypothetical by Seers eons ago: the idea that faes could no longer be reliant on the existence of the Underground," he explained.

"Why would anyone want to leave the Underground?"

"Why do humans dream of leaving Earth?" Jareth retorted.

"Point taken," she said.

"Besides," Jareth continued. "It's not about leaving the Underground, per se. It's about having ultimate power."

Sarah threw the crystal in the air, catching it as it came back down. She was not as elegant as Jareth was with his crystal, but she wasn't trying to be elegant. She was trying to take her mind away from the notion that she should be studied in a lab.

"This magic theory lesson is great and all, but what does this all mean?" Sarah asked.

"What I believe this means is that you were never meant to rule, Sarah. You were meant to be a power supply."

Sarah eyes went wide in horror. The poor crystal fell and shattered on the grass, forgotten. "What?" she yelled in disbelief.

"A power supply. A weapon of war and conquest. A means to an end. Pick whichever one makes you feel better," he said.

"None," Sarah said. "None of those makes me feel better. It's my magic. How is anyone to use it?"

"There's a reason why faes are taught at a very young age to control their magic. It takes minimal effort for another fae to garner unharnessed magic. For years, I just assumed your parents were simply dim. I'm now wishing that were true," he said with a tinge of regret in his voice.

"So, you're saying they locked me away for years only to use me for their own purposes? How does that work if they were going to marry me off? Oh, wait. I'm guessing this has something to do with what I overheard? About owing the Elven King?"

"Possibly, but right now, I don't know," Jareth admitted.

"Why would they do this?" she asked. "They had my magic when I was Above. Why bring me back?"

Jareth slowly walked paced in front of her. "They didn't have all of your magic."

"What do you mean?"

"Whatever they did, the technique they used, didn't allow them to fully take your magic away," he explained.

"So they need all of my magic? For what? What do they plan to do?"

"I have no idea."

"This is just crazy. None of this makes any sense. Why me? Why would my magic be that strong? Neither of my parents is that powerful."

Jareth shrugged his shoulders. "Again, I don't know."

Sarah dropped to the ground in defeat, spread out her arms, and closed her eyes "I'm done. I quit. I would like to just sleep now," she grumbled.

Jareth looked down and tilted his head to the side. "You made your first crystal, realized that there's an elaborate plot surrounding you, and you want to lie in the dirt?" he asked.

"It's not dirt. It's actually very lovely grass you have here," she said.

"Sarah…"

"Jareth."

He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose because he was unable to accept the fact that he was engaging in childish conversation with a grown fae who insisted on lying about.

"Sarah," he said pointedly.

"Jareth," she said, mocking his tone.

"If we break for lunch, could we get back to the lessons that you now deem unimportant, even with this new found knowledge?"

Sarah stood up and dusted off the back of her jeans. "Don't be nasty, Jareth. I would really like a break. My head is going to explode. So, yes to the food and then more hocus pocus."

Jareth's mouth thinned, and Sarah noticed his body beginning to tense. Before he could go off on a rant about something she didn't want to hear about, she grabbed his face and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth.  _He has a tendency to take things too seriously._

"Only joking about the hocus pocus line, Jareth. Stop being so serious all the time."

Jareth grasped Sarah's wrists, not allowing her to remove her hands from his face.

"Do you wish to torment me?" he asked, his voice strained.

Sarah tilted her head up to look him in the eyes, genuinely confused. "Do I torment you, Jareth?"

"Every day," he confessed.

"Your Majesty!" cried Avitus as he walked toward the pair. "I'm told your midday meal is ready in the dining hall."

Jareth released her wrists and turned toward his advisor. "Yes, I know where I eat my meals, Avitus!" he snarled.

Avitus halted his steps, bowed to Jareth, and turned back to the castle's entrance. Avitus had been Jareth's advisor for many centuries. He knew when he was not wanted, and now was one of those times.

Sarah moved to Jareth's side and yelled to the exiting fae, "He means 'thank you'!"

Avitus gave Sarah a small smile and shook his head with mirth. "I will be surprised if this castle is still standing by week's end," he muttered to himself.

Sarah started to walk towards the door when Jareth brought her to a stop.

"Sarah…" he softly said.

"Let's not argue now, okay? Can we have a congenial meal? Please?" Sarah pleaded.

Jareth gave a nod of acquiescence and escorted her to the dining hall. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Sarah couldn't bear the tension.

"Jareth, I'm sor…"

"You really should learn to stop apologizing so much," Jareth interrupted.

"I didn't mean to upset you. That's all I wanted to say," Sarah explained.

"You didn't upset me," Jareth said dismissively as he continued to eat.

"Well, you sure did seem upset."

"Learn quickly, Sarah. I always seem upset," Jareth said tersely.

_Why must he be so childish?_  Sarah let out a defeated sigh.

"We can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this. We fight over the stupidest stuff. It's as though we argue just to see how upset the other can become. We're stepping on each other's toes without knowing that we are hurting the other."

Jareth placed his silverware on the table, worrying his forehead with his fingers.

"We have come to some sort of impasse. And what are we going to do about this predicament?" Jareth asked. "You're certainly a stubborn imp, and I—"

"Have a temper straight from Hades and are as irritable as a baby with a five-day old rash," Sarah bit out.

The two faes glared at each other. After a few seconds, both their mouths began to curl. Jareth laughed first, naturally. Sarah's hands covered her face trying to hide the laugh she could no longer suppress.

"Oh god," Sarah whined.

"Why in the Underground would you want to change this?" Jareth asked still laughing.

"Because we'll both have an aneurism if we go on like this. How about this? We start over, sort of," she offered. "We can't undo the past between us; it would be impossible to forget or change it. And I wouldn't want to even if I could. But, we both start with a fresh slate. No grudges. No resentments. We both try to be more accepting about each other's, um, personality differences. What do you say? Deal?" Sarah held out her hand as a peace offering.

Jareth looked down at her hand and then back at Sarah. He grasped her hand with his and lifted it to his mouth for a kiss.

"Deal," he purred. As he released her hand, Jareth noticed a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"You're such a...a..."

"What, Precious?" Jareth asked, daring her to say something.

"A...never mind. Forget it," she muttered as she continued her meal

Jareth could not stop the smile that spread across his face. New beginnings or not, he always did like making her squirm. The two of them continued their meal in silence, however, this time the quiet in the air was less weighty.

"Jareth, I meant to ask you something kind of important," Sarah said as she finished her food. He raised an interested brow and nodded for her to continue.

Sarah looked down at her empty plate. "It's just, I was initially promised that if I agreed to return to the Underground, I would be able to visit my family, I mean, my Aboveground family, but only if I learned how to transport myself there. Obviously, that promise was a lie, but could you—if it's not too much?"

"Take you there to visit them?" Jareth said.

"Yeah. If it's not too much. You can just drop me off or something. I'll come right back," Sarah said, her eyes pleading his.

Jareth took a large gulp of wine from his chalice. "And you'll do what while you are there? I'm sure they'll love to hear your explanation of how you're an exiled fae princess from a magical land. I am a king, Sarah. I have much to do that doesn't involve casual field trips to the Aboveground. Besides, you should spend as much time as possible practicing your magic."

The hope from a moment ago fell from Sarah's face and was replaced with disappointment.

"Right. Of course," she said as she attempted to hide her melancholy expression. "Like I said, if it's not too much."

Jareth let out a small sigh. He always hated to see her distraught, and it was not her fault that she was lied to and left her family without any real knowledge of when she would return.

"I have meetings with my regional governors tomorrow afternoon. But," Jareth said as he extended his index finger toward her. "You will train for the rest of today and all of tomorrow afternoon until I take you. We'll arrive the day after tomorrow. Is all that clear?"

Sarah eyes went wide, and she nodded her head in earnest. "Yes! Of course," she said as she launched herself into his arms and sat in his lap, much to Jareth's surprise and pleasure. Sarah's arms clutched around his waist as her head rested on his shoulder, pure glee emanating from her. "Thank you. Thank you," she whispered into his ear. Jareth's gloved hand slowly stroked the hair on her back, savoring this moment for as long as it would last.

"You're very welcome, Precious," Jareth whispered back. Sarah reared her head back to look into his mismatched eyes.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Why do you always call me that?"

"Because…that's what you are," he said, brushing a flyaway hair from her face. Sarah smiled as he touched her face, enjoying his subtle caresses, and surprising herself by her own acceptance of his affection.

"Sire, one of the stable dwarves asked whether to feed the new horse a particular diet or the same as the others," Avitus asked as he walked into the dining hall.

"Bloody fool. Always has terrible timing," Jareth mumbled into Sarah's hair as he nuzzled her shoulder.

Avitus slowed his walk as he came closer to the embracing couple. Sarah noticed Avitus' obvious discomfort as he stood awaiting instructions from Jareth, who was too busy nestling Sarah's neck.

"Her name is Daisy," Sarah said, trying to nudge the fae king off her shoulder yet failing miserably since Jareth's arm tightened its hold around her waist. "She eats what every other horse does. She does, however, prefer oats and carrots. Let go of me."

"Never," Jareth said while nipping Sarah's ear. "You have your answer, Avitus. Now, go away."

Sarah pushed against his chest, and she finally wrestled her way out of his arms, standing to walk toward the advisor.

"Avitus? Jareth's advisor? Nice to finally meet you. I'm Sarah," she introduced herself with an outstretched hand. Avitus looked down at her hand with confusion.

"Oh, right," Sarah said as she pulled her arm back. "That's a human custom. Sorry. I forget the difference sometimes." Avitus smiled and gave a small bow.

"Well, I must say, I'm happy to see that at least someone in this room has manners," Avitus said as he looked over to see Jareth leaning back in his chair directing a miserable sneer at the advisor.  _Apparently, the king already misses having a companion in his arms_ , Avitus thought.

"Human customs?" Avitus queried. "Clearly you have magic. I can sense it. However, you look human."

Jareth let out a loud groan as his head fell to his hands. Sarah turned back and forth between Jareth and Avitus.

"What?" She wondered aloud.

Avitus' eyes became wide with recognition. "No. But you cannot be her. Why is the Seelie Princess here without an escort?"

"Damn it, Sarah," Jareth complained. "He didn't know who you were."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty and Your Highness…"

"Ugh. You do not need to call me that," Sarah offered.

"Just let him. Being overly proper brings him joy," Jareth said, giving his advisor a smirk.

Avitus overtly cleared his throat. "As I was saying, rest assured, as a loyal subject to the throne and His Majesty, your secret is safe with me, Princess Sarah."

"Just Sarah," she corrected. Avitus gave her an odd look.

"There's no need for titles or anything," she expounded.

Avitus turned his head to Jareth, the odd expression still on his face.

"Sarah, just let him call you by your titles," Jareth said in bored tones. "You'll get a headache otherwise."

She shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to make a large ordeal out of a menial detail. "All right, Avitus. Address me as you see proper, I guess."

Avitus gave a low bow to both of them as he left the room. Sarah turned to face Jareth, hands on her hips.

"So. What are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Sarah asked. A wicked smirk formed on Jareth's mouth. As he slowly rose from his seat, he said, "My dear Sarah, forgotten already?"

* * *

"Ah! Damn it!" Sarah yelled as a crystal flew by her, narrowly missing her face. She ran through the garden dodging crystals being thrown by Jareth. She was supposed to be counteracting the attacks with her hands, which by now glowed red with her magic. However, after a few near hits, Sarah decided to take off running, no matter how many times Jareth reassured her that the crystals were harmless.

After lunch, Jareth escorted Sarah out to the garden and, without hesitation, began to throw crystals at her. Luckily for Sarah, her magic immediately protected her with a small cloudy red barrier around her. Jareth continued to pummel the barrier until it began to crack. After the barrier fell, Sarah began to successfully bat away the crystals, at least, until Jareth decided to throw more crystals. At that point, Sarah ran for cover.

"Sarah! Stop running!" Jareth bellowed, amusement coloring his tone.

"Stop throwing things at me!" She yelled behind a tall hedge.

"The point of this exercise isn't to play hide and seek," Jareth called out as he sauntered around the garden with a crystal in his hand. "How are you to learn to quickly use your magic if you just run away?"

Sarah peeked through the bushes to ensure that Jareth was not on her trail. "How is throwing orbs at me supposed to help?" she cried back.

Jareth walked around the hedges, peering over the tops in search of Sarah. "Hand-eye coordination, Sarah. You can't just meditate all day to gain access to your magic. You must learn to think fast and effectively."

"You could have warned me," she said.

"I wanted to check your reflexes," he replied.

"What are you, a doctor?" She yelled. "Stay away from me!"

Jareth let out a loud, all-encompassing laugh that filled the air. In shock, Sarah jumped up from her hiding place. Unfortunately for Sarah, he spotted her immediately from the opposite side of the garden. Their eyes met.

"Shit," she muttered as she turned to run and ran right into him.

"And where do you think you're going?" he said with a menacing smile.

Sarah surrendered and placed her glowing red hands up in the air. "This isn't fun anymore," she said. "Also, you cheated."

"It was never fun for you. However, I still find it very entertaining," Jareth said as he threw the crystal at her. Sarah blocked the attack as Jareth continued the assault, backing her up closer to the castle walls. Faster and faster, Jareth threw crystals and even faster Sarah blocked his attacks. Sarah raised her hands in triumph when she blocked the last of Jareth's crystal balls.

"I did it! Not once did those stupid crystals of yours hit me," Sarah shouted in triumph. Jareth stalked toward Sarah during her small celebration. One moment, she was basking in her victory and the next she was being tackled by the Goblin King.

"Ugh! Get off of me!" Sarah demanded. "What are you doing?" Jareth pinned her hands above her head and straddled her legs to stop the inevitable thrashing.

"Rule number one, Sarah. The lesson is not to block the magic being used against you, but to stop the one who is using the magic," Jareth whispered in her ear while giving her ear a little nip. "You lose, Precious."

Sarah blew out a puff of air. "You didn't even tell me the rules. How am I supposed to know how to win?"

"Last time I checked, your enemy won't tell you his plans ahead of time," Jareth said. "You must figure that out on your own."

"Cheat," she mumbled.

Jareth dipped his head to her shoulder and gave her a small kiss. "Sore loser," he murmured in response.

Sarah noticed Jareth still had a hold of her arms. "You should let me go," she whispered. She swallowed the lump that developed in her throat.

"I don't want to," he admitted as he nuzzled her neckline. Sarah's heart beat so rapidly that she almost feared that he would be able to hear its sporadic beats. Jareth released Sarah's arms as he traced her collarbone with a gloved finger. Noticing the rise and fall of her chest and her dilated eyes, Jareth ceased touching Sarah. His mismatched eyes captured hers as he stared into their deep jade depths.

"Do I make you nervous, Sarah?" he asked.

Sarah brought her hand to his brow to move several strands of wispy blond hair away from his eyes. "No," she answered with certainty.

Without hesitation, Jareth lips were on hers. His kiss was hungry and desperate. The kiss caught Sarah off guard, but she quickly reciprocated Jareth's advances. Jolts of want and desire traveled through her body. The heady sensations from Jareth's ministrations felt electrifying; in ways she never believed a kiss could be. Sarah's hand latched onto his hair, attempting to hold him in place as her free hand grabbed at the front of his shirt, bringing his body closer.

Meanwhile, Jareth reached a gloved hand behind her neck to pull her closer to him. Her small moans of pleasure were music to his ears, a glorious sound he never wanted to stop hearing. She slowly caressed his head with her hand. His lips left hers as he peppered kisses up and down her neck, allowing Sarah to catch her breath. Realization of where they were and what they were doing sobered Sarah instantly. She let go of his hair and started to push against Jareth's chest.

"Jareth, we have to stop." Sarah's voice was breathless, soft, a little gravely, and sexy as hell for Jareth.

"No," he growled in response, nipping her neck in protest. Rational thought was quickly leaving his mind as his kisses traveled further down to her chest. In her attempt to stop him, Sarah wrapped her legs around his torso and flipped them both so that she straddled Jareth. Seeing the Cheshire cat grin on his face, Sarah wondered if her brilliant idea of escape might not backfire.

"If you wanted to be on top, Precious, all you had to do was ask. Not my most favorite position," he said as he gave a slight thrust. "But definitely top ten."

Having found her voice and trusting it fully, Sarah placed her hands on his chest. "Seriously, stop… wait. Top ten? TEN?" she said in wide-eyed bewilderment.

Jareht let out a snort. "Male humans lack imagination; I never would have imagined," he scoffed.

"Whatever. I don't want to be doing this," she said as she gestured between her and Jareth. "In a public place."

"It's not a public place. These are my private gardens—"

"Where advisors can just walk out," she interrupted.

"It's much more exciting that way," Jareth smirked. His smile fell slightly as Sarah's words finally registered with him. He tilted his head to the side and said, "Your objections are geography based?"

She crossed her arms over her chest in objection. "I'm sorry that I don't want everyone to see my ass and other things. You may be into that, but I'm certainly not," Sarah said. Jareth sat up, an arm wrapped her around the waist, ensuring that Sarah did not move from his lap and grabbed her face with his free hand.

Searching her jade eyes, his mouth went dry as he struggled to find the proper words to say. He brought his gloved thumbed up to trace her lips, resisting the urge to kiss them again.

"That's not what I meant. You do not object to me? To us? Being with me doesn't repulse you?" he asked.

His question was baffling to her.  _Repulsed? Why should I see him as repulsive?_

Sarah took hold of his wrist, slowly caressing the skin left exposed by his glove.

Sarah let loose a sly smile. "You silly king. Why would I find you repulsive? If I didn't think there would be an 'us', I would've shot you across the garden a long time ago."

Jareth flipped them again causing Sarah to hit the ground with a small thud. He brought his face nose to nose with Sarah's. "I'd like to see you try," Jareth countered.

"Kingy!" came a loud squeak several feet behind them.

"They're buggers, the lot of them. Everyone in this bloody kingdom," Jareth moaned into Sarah's hair. She could not hold back the chuckle that escaped her.

"Don't act so condescending. You love them," she offered.

"I tolerate them," he corrected.

"Kingy!" the voice squeaked out again, this time closer.

"What do you want, you impatient imp!" Jareth yelled as he removed himself from Sarah and sat on the ground next to her.

The green imp jumped on the toe of Jareth's shoe; Sarah recognized him immediately.

"Rasch!" Sarah cried.

The imp's large orange eyes grew larger as he saw the brunette sitting next to his King. "Princess Sarah?" Rasch marveled aloud. The imp climbed up on Sarah to give her a big imp-sized hug around her neck.

Jareth's eyes rolled as he took in the scene before him. "Oh yes. How could I forget? You have an uncanny ability to make friends with my subjects wherever you go. I should make certain to never truly upset you. You'll lead a revolution against me."

"Don't be jealous, Jareth," Sarah joked as she placed Rasch back on the grass.

"I'm not jealous of a senseless imp," Jareth muttered to himself as he produced an apple and a knife.

"What are you doing with that?" Sarah asked while he started cutting off slices from the fruit.

Jareth tossed a slice to Rasch. "Imps crave friendship and attention, but they get annoying rather quickly. Feeding this one tempers the stupidity," Jareth explained.

Sarah shook her head at his constant insults. "If he's so stupid, why do you put up with him?"

"He's able to go places without being seen, and his speech is impeccable for an imp," Jareth explained.

Sarah turned to Rasch and said, "So, my little imp friend, long time no see. What are you so excited about?"

"I goes on mission for Kingy. And I cames back with information, just like he told me too," Rasch said while chewing on the presented pieces of apple.

"And what thrilling information do you have for me?" he asked.

"Everythings was like last time I was there. Except theres no big party," Rasch said with a mouthful of apple. "No mentions of a missing princess by the anyones."

Jareth rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Odd."

Rasch rushed over to Jareth and plucked an apple slice out of his hand. "Buts I was able to sneaks in on a meeting with the other kingy over there."

"And?"

Rasch spoke in between apple chews. "He's talking to some ones with cloaked hood."

"A Seer?" Sarah guessed.

"I's don't know. He ordered the cloaked hood one to do something in thirty days. I didn't hear what it was," Rasch shrugged. "Theys also talked about the Elven kingdom wanting to fight with them and buildings up an armies. Treaty being broken, I's think they said. At the ends of the meeting, guards dragged the hoodie guy away."

Sarah could not believe what the imp just said. "The elven kingdom is going to war with the Seelie Court? And a seer being imprisoned? That's insane."

"Not the Seelie Court. Sounds like just the Kingdom of the Faes. Seems like the other kingdoms want nothing to do with this," Jareth pondered. "Or know anything about this. Although, I'm not certain why Oberon would give a seer an order and then have him dragged away by guards. "

"This doesn't make any sense. And how is my disappearance not known by everyone?" Sarah asked. "I'm kind of insulted."

"How many different individuals did you encounter on a daily basis?" Jareth countered.

"Um… one. Maybe two. Okay. Fine. But the rest?"

"Your powers are great and could be used as some sort of a weapon. Why not keep the fact that you are missing hidden? Seems things have gone terribly wrong for Oberon; there is no advantage for him to spread rumors of a war with the elves. All that would do is reveal him for the insane fae he is. The Seer is probably trying to find you in order to bring you back."

"Why haven't they been able to find me?"

"Did no one tell you?" Jareth asked. He was met with a blank stare from Sarah.

"No. Of course, you weren't told. Your magic shields you from scrying magic, Sarah. If someone is trying to find you using magic, they'll be playing a losing game," Jareth said.

"But, they found me before," Sarah stated. "And I didn't have magic."

"Have you forgotten already, Sarah? You still had remnants of your magic. Even the little bit you had left shielded you," he explained. "They found because you were back at the home they left you at as a child. If they could have found you in your own home in the land of Seattle, they would have come for you there."

"So, the entire Seelie Court is going to be torn apart because of me," Sarah said.

"Listen to me," Jareth demanded. "None of this is your fault. Oberon has himself to blame for this. These situations usually have timelines. Rasch, did you hear any sort of time frame for this war?

"Thirty day!" yelled the imp, spitting apple pieces from his mouth. "I's knew it would be important so I made sure Is didn't forget thirty." Sarah smiled at the green imp. His enthusiasm was amusing to watch.

"Seems Oberon likes thirty days. We have thirty days then to prepare," Jareth said as he stood up. He offered his hand to Sarah which she took.

"Prepare for what?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I know it will include you becoming stronger with your magic," he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, comment, give kudos, and/or bookmark this story. There will be a mini chapter in a few days.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. Here's the mini-chapter I promised.

_Everybody wants to rule the world_

* * *

"What need do you have of me, Oberon?" spat King Aiden of the Elves. "I would like to know what is of such importance that I must come to the Palace. Unless the Princess has been found, a missive would have sufficed."

"If you would sit instead of complaining like a child, we could move this meeting along," Oberon sneered.

Aiden sat opposite Oberon in his Palace office. It had been nearly twelve hours since the Seelie Court was rocked with the news that the princess was missing, and the Elven Kingdom would go to war if she was not found. King Aiden had been nursing a massive headache ever since the announcement. This ruse of Oberon's was giving him a headache. Neither he nor Aiden would go against the other, but Oberon needed the spectacle of the missing heir in order to stall until he could come up with an idea. Aiden didn't understand the reasoning behind Oberon's deception, but he did as he was told.

"How well is your proclamation going?" Oberon asked.

Aiden rolled his eyes. "If you meant to send everyone into a panic, you got what you wanted. I've been fielding messages from my subjects for hours. That's all I've been doing." Aiden rubbed his head in his hand, exhaustion emanating from him.

"Her powers have grown far beyond what we expected. No amount of magic has been able to detect her," Oberon explained.

"Then you are wasting my time. I could have told you that," Aiden said as he stood from his chair. "Did you see her eyes? They were glowing red! Red, Oberon! That was never supposed to happen."

"Sit. Down. I brought you here because I have another plan that I could not risk being discovered."

Aiden collapsed in the chair. He was becoming very tiresome of Oberon's plans. "Well?"

"The Unseelie have Sarah in their kingdom," Oberon said.

"Do you take me for a fool? That rumor was used years ago. If you think I have forgotten that trick to send her Aboveground, you are dimmer than I realized," Aiden said.

"That is the other rumor that we will spread among the Court, you idiot," Oberon spat. "Everyone was willing to die to protect her from a kidnapping plot before. Just imagine how they will act when they now hear their precious princess has been taken by the Unseelie."

"Ha, as though anyone would believe that. They would sooner believe she was ripped to shreds if she crossed into their lands," Aiden postulated. "Surely, if she has been taken by Lochlan, he would've let that be known."

"Have you forgotten? Lochlan is like any other male fae, and any reasonable creature would see how he would take Sarah for himself. My progeny is known to be a sight to behold," Oberon said with pride. "It's certainly reasonable that he would keep her disappearance quiet."

"You're going to start another Great War," Aiden reasoned. "Lochlan may not have her, but he's not one to back down from a chance to slaughter our people."

"Sarah would never allow that to happen. She cares too much for her own good. The moment she hears that thousands could die because of her absence, she'll come out of whatever hovel she's hiding in," Oberon explained. "Regardless, I've told the High Seer to try again. You were right. We should have gone ahead with the backup plan ten years ago."

"Of course, I was right. All your plans must be so elaborate. Simplicity is key," Aiden said with more pride in his voice than necessary. "Have you given thought to the idea that she's with the Goblin King. He was nearly salivating all over her during the ball."

"I have no doubt that's where she is. Whether he helped her to escape or not, I don't know, but he has her. I'm certain of it."

"Then why not march on the Goblin Kingdom! Why all these fabrications?" Aiden yelled. "We're wasting time."

"Have you forgotten about the children he provides the Court with? And he's such a boisterous fae; he'll have the entire Underground knowing what was happening. I'd have riots on my hands if we went against him. And, we both know how massive his army is. No, we have to go against Lochlan. Jareth has never stood by his brother, and he won't this time," Oberon reasoned.

"I don't know about this," Aiden said with his head in his hand. "The Goblin King may not stand by his brother, but your previous history with him coupled with Sarah; he won't just let her walk away."

"Of course not, but Sarah will leave. Once she sees the mess she's caused, she'll return. She'll be too determined to allow him to control her," Oberon reasoned.

Aiden vigorously rubbed his head with his hands. "This was not supposed to be so complicated. Send the girl above, leave her to live and die a mortal life while we harness the magic as our own. Simple. It was supposed to be so simple."

"We did the best we can!" Oberon banged his fist on his desk. "No one could predict that her magic could only be used by her. You know damn well that is why we had to bring her back; how was I to know that she was able to use her magic without lessons? The magic she unleashed—we've never experienced that before; if I just kept her locked in the tower, we would have brought too much attention to ourselves. That worked in our favor until she reached of age. We couldn't go on with that farce anymore," Oberon said.

"And what happens once she comes back?" Aiden inquired.

"She is no longer of any use to us. She'll be disposed of, and the war will continue. But we'll do it right next time," he postulated.

"This had better work, Oberon, for all our sakes. The most powerful thing in the Underground is running around doing Gods knows what in Gods knows where. If she finds out any of this, we'll all see the Fade sooner than later. Clearly, she's not as passive as you had hoped."


	14. Chapter 14

 

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world_

* * *

Sarah had never been a morning person. So, the tickling sensation she felt that caused her to slowly wake up made her languidly swat her hand across her face in a refusal to open her eyes, hoping to go back to sleep. The menacing object flickered across her face again.

"Stupid fly," she muttered as she tried to roll on her side. Sarah discovered that she couldn't move because something pinned her at the waist. She felt a small rumble across her chest along with the sound of a low chuckled. Her eyes flew open to see Jareth's mirth filled eyes staring back at her.

"Get off of me!" she demanded. "What are you doing?"

"Good morning, Sarah. Just as charming as ever first thing in morning, I see," Jareth said. As he started to lower his torso on to Sarah's, she grasped his shoulders attempting to push him away from her, but he couldn't be budged.

 _Damn, he's stronger than he looks._ She noticed Jareth's gaze drop from her face to her chest.

"I can do with this view for a while," Jareth muttered, his blond hair fell onto her cheeks. Sarah followed his gaze and realized that her bed sheets were dropping dangerously low; anymore movement and Sarah would be giving him quite a view indeed. She really needed to ask that seamstress for a nightgown.

"Get. Off. Me," she bit out. Suddenly, she released Jareth's shoulder as she curled into a ball on her side with the sheets clutched to her chest. She may have inadvertently kneed Jareth in the stomach during the process. It's not her fault that he wouldn't listen. A small groan of pain emanated from Jareth who was now lying on his side glaring at Sarah and holding his stomach.

"I told you to move," Sarah sighed.

"But it was worth it," Jareth smirked.

"Idiot," Sarah laughed.

"Ball buster," he teased. He gave Sarah a wide smile, the type of smile that she rarely ever saw him display. The look on his face warmed her heart, even if he did wake her at an unbearable hour.

Jareth noticed that Sarah was still curled in a fetal position with much of the bedding against her chest.

"Why Sarah, if you are cold in this bed, feel free to join me in mine, or I can join you here. I'm known for my hospitality, and I'd hate to see you catch cold," he murmured, his gaze taking in her form. He leisurely moved across the bed toward Sarah until he was stopped with her hand to his chest.

"Stay over there. In fact, get out of the bed. What are you doing in here anyway? Did Darcy finally have enough of your nonsense and quit?"

"I gave her the day off, or she ran away. I don't know, and I don't really care," he said as he pushed Sarah onto her back. Sarah knew she shouldn't let him back on top of her or let him grab her by the back of the neck, and she definitely shouldn't let him kiss her. But damn it, his kisses felt good; Jareth felt good. In an hour, she would blame her lack of willpower on her groggy state of mind, but for now she was willing to indulge in Jareth's little carnal game. She was starting to like his impromptu behavior more than she would like to admit.

Jareth had the best intentions when he walked into Sarah's chamber this morning. He truly did. Last night, he decided that they both needed a break. Even though she must get better with her magic, learning that she was some sort of magical anomaly as well as some sort of war machine had to be wearing her down. He sent word that his meeting would wait until the following day. Today, he would take Sarah away from the Castle and allow her to breathe a little, not let her worry that she was some ploy in her parent's terrible plot.

Jareth's plan was not purely altruistic. He had yet to have Sarah all to himself without interruption. He didn't have the most experience at wooing and courting females, his past record with Sarah being a prime example of his lack of skill, but he knew that no matter what the future held Avitus was right: this may be his last chance. Regardless of the verbal sparring between the two of them, Jareth had not felt this happy in, well, ever. He lost his heart to her over twelve years ago, and he was not about to let it go again without a fight. But damn his little minx, the moment he saw her sleeping under the sheets with no night clothes on what little altruism he had vanished. Jareth told himself to remember to forbid the seamstress from making Sarah sleeping garments. Forget leaving the Castle; he was fine with staying in her chambers all day. If they wanted a change of scenery, they could go across the hall to his chambers.

The smell of her hair, the softness of her lips, and the sound of her sighs were enough to make him threaten death to anyone who dared to interrupt them this time around.

"Let go," Jareth mumbled against Sarah's collar bone as he tried to tug the sheets from her grasp. Before Sarah could say anything, a low grumble rang throughout the room—her stomach announced its displeasure at being ignored. Jareth ceased his worship of her neck to stare at Sarah. She could not help herself and let out a loud laugh. Jareth rolled his eyes。

"That was funny, you have to admit," Sarah said.

"Even your stomach conspires against me," Jareth said as he stood next to the bed. "Tell it to calm down. I brought you breakfast, and I have activities planned for us today."

"I need to go to the bathroom," Sarah said while sitting up in the bed, making certain that she covered her upper body.

"Do you always announce that to whoever is in the room?" he asked.

"I'm naked under all this."

Jareth's leering glare scanned the length of her body. "Trust me, I know."

"Turn around," Sarah scoffed.

"What makes you think I want to do that?" he countered.

"Jareth!"

"All right. Be a prude," he said as he turned his back to her. "You are no fun whatsoever."

He heard Sarah shuffling off the bed and muffled a curse.

"Shows how much you know me, Goblin King. You have no idea how fun I can be," she said in her best low sultry voice. Jareth spun around to see Sarah behind the bathroom door with only her bare shoulder and head sticking out, a wide grin on her face.

"Don't tempt me, minx," Jareth said in a strained voice. Sarah shut the door; her laughter loud enough it carried through the door.

When Sarah finished in the bathroom, she wrapped up in her robe and dashed from the bathroom to the closet, slamming the door behind her. Jareth's laugh could be heard as she put on clothes. She realized that she had no idea what activities Jareth had planned.

"Hey! What did you have planned for us?" she asked as she stuck her head out from behind the closet door. Jareth looked to the bed they were recently in and bit back a frustrated groan.

"I told the seamstress to make you some riding clothes. Wear those," he called back from the sitting area.

Before now, Jareth had not bothered to look at what the seamstress made for Sarah, but as she exited her closet, he reminded himself to give that elf a raise. Dressed in a fitted white, long sleeved shirt, tight fitted khaki trousers with a brown belt, and black knee high riding boots, she made Jareth forget that those clothes were meant for riding horses. The things he wanted to do with those curves—

"Where's the food?" she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He stood from the chair, grabbed Sarah by the hand, and escorted her out to the balcony. A small seating area awaited them with two plates on the table.

"You know, I haven't even thought to come out here yet," she said as she sat in the chair Jareth pulled out for her.

"Not surprised. You've been rather busy," Jareth said.

The view from her balcony showed the Labyrinth in the foreground with a brief patch of barren land closest to the maze. Further out, she saw heavily wooded mountains on the horizon.

"Is all that yours?" She asked while chewing on a biscuit.

"Yes. Those mountains are most of the Northeastern province. As a matter of fact, that is where we are going today," Jareth answered.

Sarah's eyes went wide with excitement. "We're going mountain climbing?"

"Do those look like climbing clothes to you? The morning fog is hiding them, but there are smaller hills before you get to the mountains. We'll be going there by horse," he informed.

Sarah gave him a leveled look. "Do you think that place is better to practice magic with? And what about your important meetings?"

"I gave word to the governors that I'm changing the meeting to tomorrow morning. They're staying in the guest wing of the castle. As for your magic, consider today a day off," he shrugged. Sarah quickly stood from her chair, startling Jareth.

"Okay, I'm ready to go now."

"All you ate is some bread," he pointed out.

"Who cares? Can't we take it with us? I wanna see Daisy," she said with all the energy of a five year old. Jareth smiled but was not going to let her rush things. He had a schedule he wanted to stick to, and one of those things was sitting and enjoying a leisurely breakfast with his Sarah.

He pointed to her forgotten chair. "Sit and finish the meal." Sarah plopped herself into the chair and glared at him while biting into a peach.

Holding up the peach, she said, "Think yourself clever with this one?"

"It's my castle. Only expected that the tomte would serve us my favorite fruit," he smirked.

"Giving me the drugged peach—that wasn't funny, by the way," Sarah said.

"It wasn't a joke," he said with a straight face. All the humor that was previously there, now gone.

"Then what was it about then?" Sarah asked. Jareth said nothing as he bit into his peach, scowling as he chewed.

"Are you just going to sit there and not say anything?"

"There's nothing for me to say, Sarah," he said curtly. For the sake of both their sanities, Sarah dropped the subject. The last thing she wanted was to cause a fight. Jareth will have to answer her one day, but she could let this go for the time being.

Like the angel from heaven that Sarah now believed her to be, Darcy came through the front door, asking where Sarah was.

"I'm out here, Darcy," she yelled back.

The old goblin made her way to the balcony doors. "Oh, Pardon me, Your Majesty. I didn't know you'd be here."

"I changed my schedule at the last minute. Sarah and I will be gone for most of the day once we finish here," he said.

"If that's the case, I'll come back when both of you are gone to clean the chambers." She gave a bow to Jareth and left the pair alone.

Sarah gave a small sigh. "Jareth—"

"Don't you dare apologize. My temper," he trailed off. "I didn't mean to upset you, and I'm not cross. We're starting over, yes?" Sarah gave him a small smile and nodded.

"And as a reward for finishing your food, we will go on our excursion." He stood up, offering Sarah his hand.

"You make me sound like a child at day camp," she complained.

"If the shoe fits," he said and was rewarded with a punch in the arm.

Jareth massaged his arm, trying to take away the sting. "I don't know why I take such abuse from you."

Sarah looked up at Jareth and gave him a huge smile.  _That's why_ , he thought.

"How do you know so much Aboveground jargon?" she asked as they made their way through the castle to the stables.

"Have you forgotten one of my duties?"

"Well no. But that doesn't mean you have to pick up on what people say."

"The Underground gets a bit tiresome after all this time. When escaping to my private homes throughout the kingdom isn't enough, I've been known to take a day trip or two Above," he explained. "It's nice to see a grand picture of human progress. Boggles the mind."

"I didn't think many fae go Above anymore," she said.

"And I'm not many fae, Sarah. Haven't you learned by now?"

"Yeah. Yeah. You're just very special," she laughed; his grip tightened on her hand.

"Don't think I don't know what that means," he growled. Sarah reached up on her tip toes and kissed him on the forehead.

"Like you said, you're not many fae," Sarah said. "Ah, the stables!" She released his hand and ran toward the building.

"That wench," he muttered as he followed after her. "Watch out for the Hob," he cried out. "Sarah!"

"The what?" she yelled back and promptly tripped over something.

"Gah!" bellowed a gravelly voice.

"Excuse her, Sebastian, she has a habit of not looking where she's going," Jareth said as he helped Sarah up. Apparently, Sarah's method of meeting new people was running into them.

"No worries, Your Majesty," Sebastian said as he slowly rose from the ground, dusting off his clothes. The Hob had leathery grey skin and stood about four feet tall with long pointed ears and nose. Wearing a wide brim hat and well-worn clothes, he definitely spent much of his time outside.

"I'm sorry, um, Sebastian for running into you. I really should start watching where I'm going," Sarah said.

The creature blushed and bowed his head. "It's all right, m'lady. You meant nothin' by it."

"Oh bloody hell!" Jareth exclaimed as he dragged Sarah into the stables.

Sarah wretched her arm from his grasps. "What was that outburst for?"

"He's a hob, Sarah. He prefers to go mostly unnoticed, and when he doesn't, he becomes outraged and starts throwing things. But with you, he blushes and bats his eyes. Stop befriending my subjects," he barked.

Sarah softly patted Jareth on the chest with her hands. "Aww. Do we need to have the jealousy talk? I'm sure they love you too. They just show it differently, like lobbing things at your head."

He let out an irritated growl.

Sarah pointed at the aggravated king as she walked away. "Don't stop being you, Jareth," she said as she made her way to the horses.

Sarah made her way to Daisy's stall. The mare must have seen her owner arriving because the large beast made her way to the front of the stall. Her bright, alert eyes welcomed the sight of Sarah and gave her friend a soft nicker.

"I missed you too, Daisy," Sarah said, giving the horse's nose a soft pat.

"Sebastian should have made a saddle for her. It should be in the stall," Jareth called out.

Sarah opened the door and joined her horse. "Let's get you tacked up."

When Sarah was done, she led her horse out of the stall and noticed that Jareth was nowhere to be seen.

"It's about time you came out here. I wondered if you were going to spend all day in the stables," Jareth said as she exited the building. Sarah looked at him and the large black stallion next to him.

"How did you do that so quickly?" Sarah demanded.

"Magic of course," he said with a smirk.

Sarah's eye narrowed. "Oh, forget you."

Jareth released a hearty laugh as Sarah mounted her horse. After Jareth mounted his stallion, he pointed to the horizon and said, "See those hills? The top of the shortest one is where we're going. It's about two and a half leagues away. Want to make this interesting and have race?"

"Really? Against your horse?" Sarah gave Jareth and his stallion a quick glance. "You're riding a thoroughbred stallion. The odds are in your favor."

"Have no faith in your Daisy, Sarah?" Jareth mocked.

Sarah slowly shook her head. "She jumps very well, but I've never raced her before," she explained.

Jareth pointed to the horse's hindquarters. "She mixed with a thoroughbred somewhere along the line. You're selling her short."

"I'm not racing my horse through a maze," she complained as she gestured to the ivy covered wall of the Labyrinth in front of them. With an all-knowing smile, Jareth twisted his right wrist and a clear path formed to the barren plains.

Sarah paled. "Are you serious?"

"Yes or no, Sarah. Time is short," he smirk.  _Really?_  She thought.

"On two conditions: no magic; no cheating," she said.

With a nod from Jareth, she said, "On the count of three." As though ready for the challenge, both horses pawed the grass with their hooves, moving their heads to glare and snort at the other as their riders poised themselves for the race.

On the count of three, Jareth and his stallion took off through the path. Regardless of what Jareth said, Sarah knew Daisy wouldn't make the entire race at full speed, magical world or not. No worries though, that stallion would have his troubles going up that hill near the end of the race.

Two hours later, Jareth and his horse made their way to the top of the hill; he caught the smug look of Sarah and her horse as they waited there for his arrival.

"Take that self-satisfied grin off your face," he said making his way over to her.

"No, I don't think I will," she said as they both dismounted their horses.

"And just a bit ago, you were worried that you were going to lose," he said.

"Oh, but she's a good girl. Aren't you Daisy?" she crooned to the horse while vigorously patting Daisy's neck; the horse's head bobbed up and down in agreement.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "You spoil that horse."

"But she's such a good, good girl," she crooned, mocking Jareth.

"Stop doing that."

Sarah laughed as she made her way over to a small boulder leaving Daisy to do what she did best: eat grass. Jareth joined Sarah on the ground resting his head against a rock. The Castle and the Labyrinth stared back at them.

"How do you feel?" He asked gesturing to her legs.

"Sore… and victorious," she stated. He snorted and leaned over to grab her legs. No light emitted from his hands or her legs, but she felt the effects of his magic immediately.

"How long before I'm able to do that?" she inquired.

"You have many more important things to master before you start dealing with someone's health," he said. "Even I can only do rudimentary things. Healers are still needed."

"Am I going to be ready in time?" Sarah worried her lower lip with her teeth, uncertainty beginning to weigh heavy on her.

"Define 'ready.' Magic is not something to be fully mastered. There are things to learn all the time. If I wanted to be as proficient as a healer, I could, but everything else would suffer. Magic is a journey, Sarah, not a destination," he explained. "Certain aspects of magic I have considerable skill in, and others I have just a basic understanding."

Sarah turned to regard Jareth fully. "I mean, how far am I away from not having the magical skills of toddler, as you so eloquently put it."

"My Precious Sarah, you no longer have the skills of a toddler. It's now more like a preschooler."

Her eyes narrowed. "I should pelt you with crystals."

"See, there. Something a child would do," Jareth said. Sarah released a growl as she tackled Jareth, not that he was putting up much of a fight.

"I'm not a child," she gritted as she pinned him to the ground.

"Yes, I know," he said. Sarah leaned down and kissed him on the cheek before standing up to brush dirt of her clothes.

"Tease," he said as he sat back up.

Sarah gave him a smirk as she started to climb the boulder.

"Did you bring any food?" she asked.

"Is that all you think about?"

"I'm getting hungry. Forgive me for not wanting to faint," she said as she sat down.

"Enjoying the view?" he said. He decided to follow her up the rock. Jareth produced two crystals out of the air, which turned into two small sacks filled with food, sandwiches and fruit to be exact. He handed one of them to Sarah.

"Thanks, and it is a nice view actually. So this is the Northeastern province? I assume that means your kingdom is divided into quadrants."

"We are right on the border of the Province. And yes, the kingdom is divided into four provinces with the Castle in the center."

"So what makes each Province so special?" she asked.

"The northern part of the kingdom is known for its mining and trees. Limestone, slate, opals, and such things are mined here in the east. In the west, gold, silver, platinum, and there is one section where there is iron, but that hasn't been mined in years.

Sarah's eyebrows rose to new heights. "Iron? How the hell does anyone mine iron, and what would you do with it?"

"I told you: it's not mined anymore, but when it was, the humans would mine it, and I used it for potential military purposes, naturally," he explained. This conversation was heading into a grim direction that Sarah did not want to go.

"What's in the south?" Sarah asked with her mouth filled with food. Jareth gave her a side eyed glance at her peculiar behavior.

"The southwest is heavily vegetated. Most of the kingdom's crops are grown in that region and the southeast," he shrugged. "That area is most barren. Few live there, and I don't blame them. Not much grows there, and it's bordered by the Unseelie forest."

"Let me get this straight: you have various mines, trees to harvest, and fertile crop lands. Do you have trade relations with the other kingdoms?"

"I try not trade. The less I have to do with the other kingdoms, the better," he stated.

"Reclusive much?" she jested.

"My subjects harbor no goodwill toward the courts that surround us. It works in my favor that I act with their feelings. And, yes, I might be bit of a recluse," he said with a small smile.

"So, where are these gorges that gave you your crazy eyes?"

"My eyes aren't crazy," he scoffed. "They just add to the many unique qualities that inhabit me." Sarah rolled her eyes so hard she thought they went all the way to the back of her head.

Jareth chuckled. "The gorges are many leagues behind us, over the mountain range. I believe I was around eleven at the time, possible twelve. My brother and I were playing in the then newly human settled town of Oasis Steppes. It's a beautiful town that stands tall in the middle of the gorges. The only way to get in for anyone without the magical ability to transport or transform is by one bridge. And I had just learned gravity control. One day, I thought it would be entertaining to walk down the side of the town to the bottom of the gorge. My idiot brother thought it would be more entertaining to bombard me with crystals as I made my way down. I ignored him for the most part until he hit me hard on my boot heal. I was nearly three quarters of the way to the bottom. I lost my footing, and fell. I had yet to learn transporting. And so, down I went until my face hit rock."

"Holy crap," Sarah exclaimed. "How are you still alive?"

Jareth raised his finely sculpted eyebrow. "Fae, or have you forgotten who we are? I didn't land in a sea of liquid iron. However, I was out for three days. Stupid bugger of a brother."

"Where is he anyway? Does he help run things?"

Jareth tensed, and Sarah noticed. "He has nothing to do with this place. Besides, he's not worth mentioning."

Apparently, that was a scab he didn't want picked. "So," Sarah diverted as she snuggled under Jareth's arm. "Tell me more about this place." Jareth's body relaxed as he wrapped his arm across Sarah's shoulders, holding her close. In response, she placed her arms around his waist. Jareth felt ecstatic as she reciprocated his advances.

"Have you ever been to a Beltane festival?" he asked. Sarah shook her head.

"I don't care what those fools in the other kingdoms say; no one throws a Beltane festival like my subjects," he said pride emanating from his face. "The finest Goblin Ale, Elf wine, and fried biscuits guarantee that you only remember the night if you care to."

"When is it?" Sarah asked. Jareth's brows furrowed in concentration.

"Damn. Is it really three days away? Time has slipped away from me. You have proven yourself to be quite the distraction," he said nuzzling her hair.

"How did you forget?" she asked playfully batting his face from her hair. "Don't you have to plan the thing?"

"Is my title Jareth, King of Party Planning?" he laughed. "Others do the planning. I just open the celebrations and join in on the festivities. I might enjoy the ale a bit too much, or at least that's what Avitus tells me the next day. There's always a giant maypole that everyone dances around."

"Do you participate in the dance?"

Jareth snorted. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to," he answered. Sarah released a sigh filled with disappointment and frustration.

"How about we come to an agreement? Have a dance with me at Beltane, and I'll join it," he offered.

"Okay, we could do that," Sarah agreed with a smile. Sarah looked over the boulder and noticed the stallion grazing next to Daisy, who looked a bit apprehensive at the subtle attention from the other horse.

She turned her head to look up at Jareth and asked, "What is the name of your horse?"

"Him? That's Lotus," he answered. Sarah gasped, remembering the letter he sent her years ago.

"That's Lotus! Oh, he's so handsome. I've noticed he keeps bothering Daisy and won't leave her alone," Sarah said.

"What you call 'bothering,' some call the subtle art of courting," Jareth said.

"Seems you and your horse have a lot in common," Sarah said as she snuggled into his chest. Before Jareth could respond with a witty retort, her eyes closed. Resting his chin on her head, he allowed her comment to slide and simply enjoyed her presence.

As the hours passed, Jareth held tight to the exiled princess, reluctant to let go. However, the sun was setting, and he was slightly shocked that Sarah still slept.

He knew Sarah must have some sort of inclination about his feelings for her, but, so far, she had done little to show she shared those feelings. The fear of making a huge, irreversible error in their tenuous relationship gripped Jareth and stopped him short from any overt courting. Courting. The word still caused Jareth to laugh mirthlessly. Never in his many years had he ever truly considered the idea that he would partake in such an endeavor. Who he was and his past never allowed him to seriously consider the idea of true love, of having someone by his side, until Sarah. The past held many mistakes. However, the past was in the past.

Today was something different. Today was a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this reprieve from the seriousness that is happening in the story .
> 
> Next time, something major happens that I can't tell you about because... spoilers.


	15. Chapter 15

_Don't stay in a sad place_  
Where they don't care how you are  
Everyone says hi

* * *

The late morning sun was shining down bright on the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Under a large oak tree sat Sarah, dressed in her t-shirt and jeans, practicing magic. Well, if anyone came by asking what she was doing, she would say practicing her magic, just like Jareth told her to do, which is why the leftover fruit, cheese, and bread from her breakfast whirled around overhead as though a small merry-go-round of fruit was created just for her enjoyment, mostly because it was.

Earlier that morning, Jareth told her to focus on moving objects. Once a fae could move object, she could learn to move herself or others. "It might take you most of the morning to get a small rock to vibrate," Jareth said as he left for his meetings. "However, don't frustrate yourself too much. I do like my castle and would hate if you caused it to fall apart."

Three hours later, Sarah had a small constellation of food swirling around her head. Jareth was right- she was a quick learner, or at least her magic made things easy for her. So, she decided that she might as well take some time to lie back and close her eyes for a bit. Jareth's early morning wakeup call was not agreeing with her.

She took this rare moment of solitude to reflect on the past few days. Regardless of the insanity that was going on around her, the relationship growing between her and Jareth was most surprising. She would never tell him, because he would never let her live it down, but she never felt more at peace than when Jareth snuggled with her on the hill.

"Sarah?" A gruff voice came from behind the tree.

"Hoggle?" Sarah asked as she sat up. Having lost her concentration, the food tumbled down, nearly hitting her.

"Watcha doin' with food flying 'round your head?" he asked as he stood in front of her. She waved her hand in a semi-circle causing the food to gather in a small suspended ball, which landed in a knapsack she held out.

"Jareth wanted me to learn how to move things, and I did," Sarah said with a shrug. "So, now I'm just hanging out, I guess. I doubt he thought I would be able to do so much so quickly. It's the only thing I was told to do."

Hoggle rubbed the sole of his foot into the ground, neglecting to make eye contact with her. "I's keep forgettin' that you's got magic now. Hell, I's forget that you's a princess as well," he murmured. Sarah grabbed Hoggle's hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Oh, Hoggle, don't be bashful now," she remarked. "Hey, I'm still me. Don't think that I'll be different, and I don't want you to be different around me either. Okay?

Hoggle looked to the side and grumbled under his breath.

Sarah gently shook his arms. "Okay?" She reiterated.

"Allsright," he answered. "It's just weirds that's all." Sarah released Hoggle and handed him a piece of bread.

"Yeah, that's been a theme lately. So, what are you doing here?"

"Workin' of course. I'm a gardener, ya know," Hoggle stated as he sat down next to her.

"Yes I know that. But, why here? I thought you work at the beginning of the Labyrinth."

"I haven't had that post in years. Jareth put me here a while ago. I didn't ask why. Just did as I was told," he said eating his piece of bread.

"Did he- did he put you here after I left?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I's don't want to talk about it. I don't want to know what Jareth would do if I said anything more," Hoggle said shaking his head. Sarah had to resist the urge to persuade him to say more. However, having witnessed Jareth's temper, she understood her friend's trepidation. Especially since Hoggle had never been the bravest among her friends.

"All right. Fine. But what about those?" She asked as she pointed to an ivy covered wrought iron door. "Why is there a door in the middle of a garden?"

"All I know is it is Jareth's and his alone," he said. "He went in there when he wanted, usually daily. Ain't no one allowed in. Don't concern me. So, I don't know."

"Now I want to know what's in there," Sarah said walking toward the door. Hoggle hopped up and ran after her as fast as his short legs could carry him.

"Oh, nos you don't. You gonna get us both into trouble," he said.

"What does he have in there? Dead bodies? I doubt there is anything in there that is worth all your worry," Sarah said as she stood in front of the door.

"Gar! You can't get in anyway. He has a barrier up. Just like he does everywhere else in this place," Hoggle said. "So, you's might as well go back to your magic practice."

"No. I don't think so," Sarah said in a trance-like state. She placed her palm up to the door's façade feeling for the barrier. The barrier shined a bright red. The latch unlocked, and the door swung open.

She stepped through the entryway. Although it was nearly midday, the secret garden was dark, as if it were twilight. "Cool," Sarah said.

"Gah! Sarah, Come back here. You ain't supposes to be in there," Hoggle yelled. He stayed back at the door's threshold, not daring to go in.

"If I'm not allowed to be in here, then, how am I able to get in?" Sarah asked walking further into the garden. Hoggle shuffled in behind Sarah. He was taken aback by how beautiful the place was considering Jareth was the only one that tended to the garden.

"That ain't the point. It's his garden, and we ain't suppos' to be in here," Hoggle grumbled.

"Purple irises everywhere; they're my favorite," she mumbled mostly to herself. Looking closer, she noticed a few other flowers intermingled with the irises. "Jareth doesn't seem like the flower type," Sarah noted.

Hoggle let out a derisive snort. "Well, he ain't. The only things he cares about here is his castle, throne, and wardrobe. He don't care about no flowers."

"Then why are there so many here? Yellow primroses, red tulips, white daffodils, purple hyacinths—all of these are very specific. Hm…" she muttered.

"They's just flowers, Sarah," Hoggle said, tugging on the hem of her shirt. "That's all that's here. Flowers."

Sarah kneeled on the rock path to take a closer look at the blooms. "All flowers have a meaning. I was given a type of encyclopedia on them years ago. With hyacinths, it depends on the color of the flower. Purple hyacinth means 'sorrow', no… 'sorry'. It means 'I'm sorry'. Yeah, that's it, and the daffodils mean 'unrequited love.' Karen never planted those. She said it was bad luck for Toby and me. She was always weird about those things," Sarah revealed.

Thinking he saw something, Hoggle looked back toward the door. Nothing was there, but that did not help his anxiety.

"Can we talk about this outside?"Hoggle said, shuffling his feet back and forth.

"Red tulips are a declaration of love," Sarah said, ignoring Hoggle's concern. "A boy in my senior year chemistry class gave me a bouquet of these once. He thought he was clever for knowing the meaning behind them, and primroses—I don't think I remember what these mean. Damn it."

"I'm sure you can find the answer in the library. In fact, I'll take you there right now," Hoggle said as he grabbed a hold of Sarah's hand.

Sarah had enough of Hoggle's not so subtle persuasion. "Then you go, Hoggle."

"Yes, Hogsqueal, leave," came the unnaturally calm voice behind them. Standing at the entry was Jareth, dressed in all black, his pendant shining a light into the small garden. Leaning against the ivy covered door with arms crossed, Jareth's face was stoic and too tranquil for the likes of Hoggle.

"Um, Your Majesty," Hoggle began, wringing his hands to rid himself of his nerves. "We didn't mean to intrude. We's just leaving."

Jareth walked into the garden, still emotionless. He stopped in front of Hoggle and said, "No, Hornsby. You were just leaving. Make sure to shut the door behind you."

Hoggle gave Sarah an apprehensive look. She, on the other hand, looked at Jareth with roughly the same amount of anxiety that Hoggle felt.

Jareth turned to Sarah. "Now, Hogbrain," he commanded. Hoggle ran out of the garden as fast as his stubbly legs could take him; the door slammed closed behind him.

He walked around Sarah toward the bench surrounded by primroses. "And how exactly did you manage to get in here? Let me guess. That blasted magic of yours also acts as some sort of skeleton key, yes? Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant," he muttered. As he sat on the bench, he conjured two full white small sacks. He placed one sack next to him and the other on his lap.

"I didn't try to pick a lock or anything. I just placed my hand on the door, just like the barrier to our corridor. I didn't mean to upset you by coming in here. It was just too lovely of a place to leave once I saw it," she said as she slowly backed away. "I'll just go."

"Sit down, Sarah," he instructed. "I brought us lunch." Jareth refused to look at her; instead, he gazed at the water fountain. Sarah sat down next to him as she peaked into the sack: a sandwich on crusty bread and several pieces of fruit.

"Thanks for lunch," Sarah said and began to eat. Silence greeted her as Jareth continued to stare at the tumbling water while they ate lunch. After several minutes of silence, Sarah decided that the stillness in the air was too much to bear.

"So, are you just going to not talk to me, and pretend that you're not mad, or should I brace myself for the rant of the century?" she inquired. Again, nothing from Jareth. Nothing but silence.

Sarah turned to him and said, "Jareth…"

"Red tulips from a school sweetheart. How sweet," he sneered.

Sarah turned toward Jareth. "You heard that? Did you hear everything I said?" He gave a curt nod, still staring ahead.

"Yeah. My school allowed students to buy each other flowers for Valentine's Day. He bought me three tulips—said it was all he could afford," Sarah mused with a small smile on her face.

"I like my food. Please, try not to make me throw it up," Jareth said.

"Oh, come on. It's just silly kid stuff. You can't possibly sit there and act like you didn't participate in meaningless stuff with girls when you were younger," Sarah said.

Still, Jareth said nothing.

"So, was I right about the flower meanings?" she asked. Jareth stood up from the bench, letting his food fall from his lap to the floor. He paced in front of Sarah with his hands clasped behind his back. Several minutes of this put Sarah on edge.

"Jareth…" she whispered. He halted his pacing and pulled her off the bench and into his arms. His gloved hands held her face; he stared into her eyes as though contemplating a mystery to be solved.

"How about you never bring up past suitors?" Jareth intoned.

Sarah removed his hands from her face. "He wasn't a suitor. He—nevermind. But, what about the flowers?"

"We're going Aboveground in ten minutes. Be ready," Jareth said as he walked toward the door. Sarah ran after him, not allowing him to disappear in the middle of the conversation.

"Jareth, stop. Stop shutting me down every time I ask a simple question," she said.

Jareth halted his steps and turned back toward Sarah. Out under the sun, Sarah found his hair halo-like, illuminating his harsh features.

"Nine minutes. Meet me in the throne room when you are ready," he said then disappeared before her eyes.

"Ugh. That asshole," Sarah complained. His constant dodging of her questions irked her. As she walked back toward her chambers, she attempted to clear her head of their pseudo-conversation. She would get her answers one day; even if she had to tie him down to figure them out.

For now, however, she walked through her chamber to grab her bag, readying herself for her return back to the Aboveground. Earlier that morning, she created a few magic-less red crystals as presents for her family. Sarah never could visit them without bringing gifts. Even if the crystals had no magical potential, she didn't know when she would be able to make it back, and she wanted to give them something to remember her by.

Opening her chamber door to leave, Sarah was greeted by Darcy, whose hand was positioned to knock on the door.

"Looks like I beat you to the punch," Sarah said.

"Punch?" Darcy asked as she looked into the chambers. "Where is thepunch, and why would you beat it?"

Sarah shut the door behind her and followed Darcy down the hall. "No. I mean, forget it. I assume you are here to escort me to the throne room," Sarah posited.

"Not so much escort you as I was told to hurry you up," Darcy explained.

"I'm not even late. I have like four minutes left. Impatient fae," Sarah grumbled.

"Heh, ain't that the truth. Anyway, he's been called worse," Darcy shrugged.

"How have you been, Darcy? I haven't seen you in a while," Sarah asked. Darcy came to a stop beside Sarah and gave her a confused look.

"I, um, I'm fine," Darcy said as she started walking down the hall.

"Why the hesitancy? Did I offend you?" Sarah inquired.

"My job is to clean up and make things nice. I'm not meant to be seen," Darcy explained.

"Is that what Jareth requires of you?"

"It's what I require of myself. As long as my job is done properly, His Majesty don't care what happens," Darcy explained. "Excuse my terseness. I just not use to how you's so proper. Makes me a bit uncomfortable, that's all."

Sarah nodded her head in understanding. "I'm guessing that's a goblin thing."

"Goblins ain't Fae. Can't expect us to act like you," Darcy clarified.

"I assume that's why Jareth lets the goblins do as they please," Sarah questioned.

"He don't let us get away with anything. He is king, but you can't stick scales on a chicken and call it a lizard. Thinks it as an organized chaos," Darcy said.

"That oddly makes sense," Sarah said.

The two of them stood before a set of large wooden doors. "And this is where I leave you," Darcy said as she walked away.

"Thank you!" Sarah called out. Darcy waved a dismissive hand in the air much to Sarah's amusement.

Opening the door to the throne room, Sarah anticipated the goblin chaos to be in full swing, half expecting an egg to go flying by her head. Instead, she found a shockingly clean throne room devoid of everyone except the Goblin King sitting in his throne, staring out the window in a state of contemplation.

Sarah cleared her throat. "Ready," she said still standing by the opened doors.

"Going dressed like that?" he asked as he jumped from his throne, making his way to the middle of the room.

"What do you mean 'like that'? These are my Aboveground clothes. I would freak them out dressed any other way," Sarah explained as she walked to meet him. "You on the other hand."

"Something wrong with the way I'm dressed?" Jareth asked.

"Uh, yeah. How often do you go Above? You know how people dress up there; no one dresses like you," she said. Jareth started to open his mouth to object when Sarah cut him off.

"No one who walks around in suburbia dresses like you. Now, random club goers who are on acid, maybe," Sarah joked.

"Find this as an improvement?" Jareth snapped his fingers. His all black attire was replaced by tight, dark blue jeans and a white V-neck shirt that displayed his pendant. He refused to forgo his black boots. The tennis shoes that humans wore always confused Jareth. So much money spent on abhorrent footwear.

Sarah gave Jareth a thorough overview of his new outfit. "Nice," she breathed. "But your hair is—"

"No. You are not allowed to mess with my hair. Your family is just going to have to deal with this majestic mane," he said with a wide smile. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Oh God, do you ever run out of compliments to give yourself?"

"Of course not. How could I? Have you seen me?" he asked in a mock whisper.

"You have no shame. Let's go," she said. Jareth grabbed her by her left upper arm and held her close against his chest.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You have to be near me in order for me to transport us both there," he said.

Sarah gave him a wary stare. "I never had to be this close to anyone when I moved between worlds before," she said.

"Don't pretend as though you don't enjoy it, Precious," he said as he conjured a crystal. He threw the orb into the air and the world around her became unfocused. Clutching Jareth's shirt in her hands, Sarah closed her eyes to stop the Monet-esque scenery from flashing before her eyes.

"As much as I hate to say this, you need to let go of me. Can't walk to your house in this position," Jareth said. Sarah released Jareth and backed up a few paces. She looked around to see that she was standing on the sidewalk a few houses down from her parent's house with Jareth by her side.

"What are you going to tell them?" Jareth wondered aloud while they walked toward the house.

"The truth. They deserve it, and I have nothing else to say that would explain my disappearance," she said. "Or your hair."

"Must you continue to bring this up?" Jareth said.

"Well yeah. Nice to see you get riled up about something so trivial," Sarah said.

"I'm pleased to hear that you find my hair so meaningless," Jareth said.

"Now, you are just putting words in my mouth. I meant the fact that you get worked up about your hair is trivial- the emotion behind it. I find it funny. That's all. No reason to feel offended," Sarah clarified.

As they came to the front steps of the house, Jareth started to climb up toward the front door, but Sarah stayed back.

"This is your human family, not mine. Are you coming?" Jareth asked. Sarah made her way to the top of the stair and to the front door.

"Sorry, just nervous, I guess," she said as she rang the doorbell. Noises that sounded like distant yelling and running down the stairs filled the quiet air. Jareth stood behind and to the side of Sarah, not wanting to be intrusive. The door swung open, and a pre-teen boy with sandy, blond hair and large, blue eyes stood before her. Sarah's face beamed with excitement. Before she could say anything, the boy turned his head back inside the house with a faint look of disgust on his face.

"Mom! You promised I wasn't going to have any more babysitters. I'm too old for this," he whined. Sarah's excitement turned to confusion.

"I didn't call for a babysitter; we are not even going anywhere tonight," said a blond, middle aged woman as she made her way to the front door. "Hello, I don't believe we've met."

Sarah just stood there, anxiety and fear spreading throughout her body rendering her immobile and speechless.

"Um, young lady, are you okay?" said the woman.

"Ah, I'm sorry," said Jareth as he moved into view. "The trip here was long and arduous. My wife here must be exhausted, lost all her manners." He faux laughed trying to encourage Sarah to join in.

"Oh! Did you just buy that house down the street? I'm so happy for you. That house was too nice to just be left on the market like that," she said. "Oh, now, where are my manners? I'm Karen. Karen Williams. And this is Toby," she said giving her son a squeeze on the shoulders.

"Pleasure is ours," Jareth said as he extended a welcoming gloved hand. "My name is Jareth. Jareth Koning, and my lovely wife Sarah."

"Pleasure to meet you, Karen, Toby," Sarah mumbled. "Jareth, I think we need to go." She tried to back away, but Jareth kept her in place.

"Sarah, let's not be rude," Jareth whispered. All Sarah could muster was a nervous, low chuckle.

"That's a different accent you have there. Must have been some traveling you did. You look as white as a sheet, Mrs. Koning," Karen observed as she grabbed Sarah by the hand and gave it a friendly pat. "Come inside. I can make some coffee, and we have pie."

"We always have pie," grumbled Toby as he walked back inside the house. "Why can't we have cake or ice cream," he yelled from another part of the house.

"Ignore him. Kids these days, am I right? My husband, Richard, should be home in a few minutes. I'm sure he would love to meet you both. People don't move out here too often."

Jareth's arm circled Sarah's waist; her right hand clutched tight to the fabric on his back. He was the only thing keeping her from falling on the ground.

"You're invite is much appreciated, but as you can see, we are both exhausted. We'll be sure to come by another time," Jareth said.

"Of course. I understand. Feel free to stop by anytime. I'd love to get know you two better. And you, Mrs. Koning, please get some rest. Moving doesn't work well with illness," Karen said.

"Yeah, I will. Thank you for your concern," Sarah said. She released Jareth's shirt and walked down the steps in a trance.

"Make sure she gets her rest. She seems like a stubborn one," Karen whispered to Jareth.

"You, Madame, have no idea. You honestly have no idea," he said with a sigh. "Until next time."

"See you later, Mr. Koning," Karen waved as she shut the door.

By the time Jareth made his way to the bottom of the steps, Sarah had nearly made it to the area where they arrived. He ran after her.

"Sarah, Sarah, stop! Speak to me," he said once he caught up with her. Sarah rounded on him. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was red and swollen. Water pooled in her eyes.

"Why," she choked out. "Why don't they remember me? They thought I was a babysitter?" She raked her hands through her hair as though the answer was hidden within her locks.

"Precious, if I knew…"

"Shut up, Jareth! Of course, you knew. You know everything, right?" she sneered. "Or have heard stories about things. Tell me: did you know this would happen? That they would forget me?"

Jareth placed his hands on his hips and lowered his head. "I didn't know—"

"But you knew it was a possibility, right?" Sarah asked. Jareth did not answer back.

Tears streamed down her face. "Tell me!" she demanded.

"Yes, I knew it was probable that they would have not remembered you. I didn't see any reason to let you know," Jareth confessed.

"Why? Why did you let me think I could still be with them again?" she asked.

"Because they were the only family you had left. You never really had one at the Court. I didn't want to have to tell you that you lost the humans who meant so much to you," he admitted.

"How did they forget?" she asked.

Jareth reached out for her arm. "Sarah, now is not the time."

"No, no," she said as she snatched her body away. "No more delay tactics. How did they forget?"

"I already told you that I don't know how the Seers did what they did, but I always assumed that it was based on some sort of changeling magic. Once the changeling is removed, the family who was in charge of its care immediately forgets," he described. "Sarah, you were the changeling."

Her knees dropped to the grass. Tears flowed in a quiet stream down her face. Staring at the house in front of her, Sarah tuned out the world around her; she could not do it anymore. This was one more lie heaped on the many meant to manipulate her for reasons she still did not understand. She was always meant to be a pawn in these silly fae games.

"We need to go back," Jareth said. He looked around checking that their odd behavior had not caught any human attention.

"I'm not going back," Sarah said in a monotone voice.

"Don't be childish," Jareth scoffed. Sarah's head darted up; she glared at Jareth. She jumped to her feet and gave him a violent push

"Don't be  _childish_? How dare you say that to me? I have lost everything and everyone. Why go back? The Underground has taken away everything I love. I have nothing left," she said. Jareth's face was disheartened and dejected. Sarah's words crushed him leaving him feeling the same as he had those many years ago. Normally, she would have felt awful for having said such a thing and causing so much pain, but this was not normal, and she did not care anymore.

"Don't give me that look," Sarah snapped.

Jareth masked his emotions choosing a look of haughty indifference. "What look?"

"Don't make this about you, Jareth. Don't you dare," she warned with tears racing down her cheeks.

"And here I thought we friends," he mocked.

"Friends? Friends? You want to talk about being friends? Friends know each other's birthday so they can wish them a happy one when the time comes around. Friends talk about each other's families so they can joke about how annoying they are. Friends are able to explain those stupid peaches," Sarah cried. "Friends explain why they wear gloves all the time. Friends explain why there's a giant maze around their home. Friends explain why they are able to make clear crystals when no one else can. Friends explain where the hell they come from; you don't tell me anything of real importance, Jareth. If we were friends, you wouldn't keep pushing me away like a plague. Why does everything have to be a secret including you!"

Sarah's chest heaved from the adrenaline as she tried to catch her eyes were now bright, bright red with all remnants of green. She didn't notice that the clouds were growing increasingly dark, and gusts of wind were blowing through the trees.

"You've lost control of your magic, Sarah. You're going to lay waste to this entire town if we don't go," he said calmly as though he hadn't heard a word she said.

"Why won't you answer me?" she said quietly, trying not to sob and not having the strength to yell anymore.

Jareth's eyes softened as he grasped her by her shoulders to face him. He knew that Sarah was angry at the world, and he thought she had every right to be. He's delayed in explaining this to her for too long. Jareth believed that he was protecting her by glossing over certain aspects of his life, but she deserved to know the truth, at least all that he knew.

"The peach…while you were in the Labyrinth… it was my last chance…"

"Last chance for what?" she whispered, still unaware of the brewing tempest that she was causing.

"Come back with me to the castle, and I will tell you anything you wish to know," he said. She nodded in agreement, and Jareth transported them away. The near-gale storm ended as rapidly as it began leaving the small New York town sunny and bright.


	16. Chapter 16

_But the memory remains_

* * *

Jareth and Sarah materialized in a drawing room in the castle. Realizing they had arrived, Sarah shoved Jareth off of her and sat on the large couch resting against the window.

"All right, now talk," she demanded as she crossed her legs trying to find comfort in a difficult situation. Jareth walked to the corner of the room where a drink cart waited for him.

Grabbing two glasses, he asked, "Ice or no ice?"

"Huh?"

Jareth displayed to her a crystal decanter, which held an amber liquid.

"Oh, ice, please," Sarah said.

He poured drinks and walked over to the couch handing Sarah a glass. Jareth took a swill of his drink and downed it in two gulps. He refilled his glass and proceeded to drink the contents.

As he poured his third drink, Sarah realized that she had yet to drink any of hers.

"Are you going say anything, or are you going to get drunk?" Sarah asked.

Jareth downed the third glass and gave a lopsided smile. "And why can't I do both?"

Sarah let out a heavy breath and moved over to make room on the couch.

"Sit, Jareth. You're delaying the inevitable. Just talk to me," Sarah said. Jareth walked over to the couch and sat opposite Sarah.

"And where exactly should I start?" he asked.

"I've always heard the beginning is a good place to start," Sarah said.

"Clever," Jareth said.

"Don't give me too much credit," Sarah said. "I got it from a musical."

"So you want to start at the beginning, hm? Well, nearly ten thousand years ago—" he began.

"You're starting ten thousand years ago?" Sarah interrupted.

"Do you want me to tell the story or not?" Jareth said. Sarah mouthed "oops" to him as she sipped her beverage, intent on allowing him to tell his story.

"Ten thousand years ago, the Underground was comprised of only two kingdoms: Kingdom of the Faes and the Kingdom of the Unseelie. The Kingdom of the Fae was ruled by Queen Mab, your grandmother. She controlled not just the Fae but also elves, dwarves, centaurs, and pixies. The trolls had yet to revolt against the Unseelie. Cian was King of the Unseelie. He was an…interesting fae."

Jareth studied his drink, considering his words carefully. "Cruel and capricious have been used to describe him. However, Mab was no wilting flower. The only difference between the two was that Cian was at ease with his tainted status, and Mab was better with public relations. Where Cian would openly torment and torture humans, Mab would trap them in unfair deals and allow privileged, yet sadistic, members of her Kingdom to plague humans in the Aboveground. There's a reason why her name raises a variety of responses among humans throughout the ages. Mab was obsessed with her own control over the throne; when the other races of her kingdom revolted and demanded their own kingdoms, she enlisted a sort of… what have humans called it? Ah a secret police. They quelled any and all dissent through various means. Some said the troublemakers were killed on site. Others believed that they were jailed in small iron cages until they went to the Fade. The most popular belief was that the so-called pests were sent to the Aboveground to waste away, since prolonged time away from the Underground kills anyone with magic in a matter of years.

"A few millennia later, surprisingly, Mab grew weary of her life here. Ruling with an iron fist can be exhausting, I presume. Her last act was to give the creatures of her realm what they always wanted: kingdoms of their own. Sort of. Each creature had their own land and a ruler of their own, but they have proven to be nothing more than puppets. I'm sure most of the denizens of these kingdoms are unaware of this situation. Oberon, her son and your father, has the final say in everything. If he wants a lake-sized amount of silver from the Elves by nightfall, he will receive it by nightfall. You see, Sarah, the only reason why Mab allowed for individual kingdoms was she feared Oberon wouldn't have the guile that she possessed. He has the vanity of a king but none of the cleverness required to hold rule for any real length of time.

"During her rule, Mab had no use for the Unseelie. There was an uneasy truce, but it was a truce nonetheless. Whether they caused havoc with humans was none of her concern as long as they stayed off Seelie territory. Oberon uses politics and false panic to hold onto his power. The passive yet uneasy understanding the Seelie had with the Unseelie eroded the minute Oberon took the throne. Every few centuries or so, he causes some distress among the populace, usually using the Unseelie as a scapegoat. Once in a great while, he feels the need to flex his muscles so to speak. Small battles, terrible battles, would break out between the Unseelie and the Seelie Court. Cian had a fearsome collective, but the numbers of Seelie always held out and won in the end. I can only assume that whatever purpose he had for you concerned his need for power and any irrational perceived threat to it. Maybe he wants to put an end to this back and forth with the Unseelie. I don't know. But, I promise you that's all I know."

Jareth waved his hand in the direction of the fireplace, lighting it. He waited several minutes before he continued with Sarah waiting patiently. Telling her the true history of the Underground was not that difficult, but what came next was going to challenging for him.

"You wanted to know about me? I guess I should start with my parents. My father was Faolan." Jareth's mouth curled into a small smile. "He was a nephew of the then reigning king of the newly formed Dwarf kingdom, Seamus. He was given the rank of Duke in that kingdom. Didn't have much use for the title, but every relative of royalty must be given one. He was a tall fae with grey, almost white, hair- even as a child. His eyes were blue of a type; I believe periwinkle would be the best description. It's been said that my father used to complain about his trips Aboveground. Apparently, all the humans would gawk at him; he looked so strange to them. Father served as a High Seer for the Dwarf King. He was loyal to his kingdom but had little use for Court politics. So, he kept a small cottage near the Fae kingdom and Unseelie border that he used when he was not needed at the Dwarf Castle."

Jareth looked to his right, staring out the window. He took a deep breath and a swill of his drink before he continued.

"Iona, my mother, she was… she was a lovely creature," he said wistfully, turning back to the fireplace. "You would have loved her. The two of you could get into a pissing contest about who could cause me the most headaches. My mother was a bit rough around the edges, but that just made her more interesting. She was Unseelie, a dark fae, to be exact. I don't need you going around thinking I'm part selkie or some other ridiculous creature. She was statuesque, however, shorter than my father if my memory is correct. She had long flaxen hair. Her eyes… were black, like all Unseelie. Her long fingernails would be used instead of silverware. She said father complained about her bad manners at the dining table." He smiled at the remembrance of his mother's lack of tact. "Mother was Cian's niece. He had no children, and she was the only child. Cian wanted her to take over the throne after him, but she never wanted it. She may have been Unseelie, but that doesn't mean she always acted as one. She found them all to be bores and didn't care for them. Cian would criticize how she wasn't behaving enough like an Unseelie, whatever that was supposed to mean. She found tormenting humans to be a pointless act. Humans were powerless creatures who frightened easily. How amusing could it be to scare someone who is already fearful of you?

"Although Cian had wished for my mother to rule someday, he never bothered with normal royal protocol. Contrary to popular belief, my uncle kept a tight hold on his kingdom. He never allowed any of his creatures to pass into Seelie territory- dealing with any Seelie wasn't worth the hassle to him. However, since mother found the Unseelie castle abhorrent, she tended to spend much of her time away from kingdom's center, usually near the border. I'll spare you the flowery language she used when she told me how she met my father. I always found the telling insufferable. Let's just say that his striking features wouldn't allow her to stay in Unseelie territory for long once she saw him. The two of them kept their relationship from both Courts. Father stepped down at his position of High Seer, citing stress or some such drivel. Mother bribed a dark fae Seer to have him perform the bonding ritual between her and father. They lived in secret at his cottage for the longest time. I don't know how he discovered their bond, but Cian was not delighted when he found out. He refused the idea that a member of the Seelie Court would one day share the Unseelie throne. To his credit, he didn't disown her completely. But, he warned her that her mate would have to stay off of Unseelie land. Unseelie have a blood-lust for the Seelie, especially fae, and he had better things to do than to ensure that my father was not in danger of being harmed.

"I was born shortly after their bond. Obviously, I was a delightful child. Never gave my mother grief," he beamed. "My brother, Lochlan, however, was, correction,  _is_  a foolish fae who found the ability to turn sheep into frogs amusing at an early age."

Sarah let out a small gasp. Jareth arch his brow in question.

"Um, it's just, Lochlan, I met him the day I left the Palace," Sarah explained. "Hmm, I would have probably noticed the similarities if I wasn't starved and scared for my life."

A low growl escaped Jareth's lips. "And what, pray tell, were you doing with him?" he asked through clenched teeth.

His strong reaction startled her. "I must have travelled too far south. I inadvertently stumbled into an Unseelie forest," she said. "I don't know why you are upset with him, but he saved me from several sluagh. He gave me food and pointed me to your castle. He didn't seem too harmful," she shrugged. "I take it the two of you aren't close."

"He's special and has his reasons for everything, but enough of him," he said. "When Lochlan was barely a toddler, someone told the Seelie Court about my parents and where we lived. I still don't know who it was, or why he or she decided to tell, but one day, as father went for a hunt, he was attacked and killed. I found him by the creek near our cottage when mother told me to call him for the midday meal."

Sarah noticed that Jareth's body was tense. He refused to make eye contact, gazing into the roaring fire instead.

"He was nearly unrecognizable. His eyes were gouged out; his torso ripped to shreds. Only his white hair identified him, and even that was matted with blood and dirt. Mother flew into a rage. I'd never seen her like that before. For the first and only time in my life was I truly afraid of her. She took me and my brother to the Seelie Palace, storming the throne room, and accused Oberon of murdering her mate. She had never stepped foot into Seelie territory past our cottage, let alone the Palace, but her anger was unmatched; pillars and stones tumbled around the Palace. She could have brought the whole thing down if she wanted. She nearly did. I remember Oberon's indifference at the melee surrounding him. Oberon feigned innocence claiming he had no idea of what she spoke of. He claimed a draugr killed father, and that the three of us should be happy we were still alive. He spoke complete nonsense, of course. Mother never told him how father died. How would he know to blame a creature known for ripping its victims to shreds without knowing how the victim died?"

"Why? Why would Oberon do that?" she asked in a small yet pleading tone.

Jareth turned to finally face Sarah. "Oberon, hm? Finally deciding he's not worthy of the title of 'Father'?" he sneered. "He, like many fae, viewed a Seelie-Unseelie bond as an abomination. I assume I should thank him for not having me shredded to pieces as well. Remind me to send him flowers."

"You blame him? But, why kill your father? He was Seelie. Your mother-"

"No one cares about an Unseelie death, not even an Unseelie. But kill a Seelie, a high ranking Seelie in fact, and make that killing look as though it was done by an Unseelie...Well, now you are able to manipulate your denizens into almost anything, even war."

Sarah gawked at Jareth. "The Great War started with the death of your father?"

Jareth gave a slow nod, returning his gaze to the fireplace. "It's amazing what fear can make people do, isn't it? My mother was tempted to kill Oberon where he sat for what he did. However, if she did that, the three of us would be at risk the rest of our lives, hunted for regicide. She left the Palace but gave Oberon a warning to leave her family be. We fled to the Unseelie Castle. Cian was livid that he was used as a scapegoat against his niece. Soon, word spread that the Seelie were raising an army against Cian in retribution for the death of the Dwarf King's nephew. He asked for my mother's help in battle. She refused. She told her uncle she cared for nothing outside the safety of her two sons. We left the castle, amid Cian's objections, and made our way toward the 'Barren Lands'."

"I remember seeing the 'Barren Lands' mapped out in the Palace library. I just didn't think that your kingdom would be here. If it's so barren how does everyone here survive?"

"Lazy cartography, I assume. They noticed the land immediately bordering the Seelie Kingdom as barren and labeled this entire area as such. Too much land in a kingdom allows for more freedom. That can be the only reason Mab never extended her borders, and Oberon is just a lout who sits on the work of others," he said.

"It was mostly unoccupied at the time," he explained. "However, there were few who roamed the lands, mostly goblins, who kept in large packs. A major veil to the Aboveground is located here. They caused havoc everywhere they went- still do, little monsters. However, back then, the havoc they caused was stealing human children and bringing them back to the Underground, usually to eat them."

"Oh my god!" Sarah exclaimed. The corner of Jareth's mouth twitched at Sarah's outcry. Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, he threw his head back and let out a hardy laugh.

She gave him a scowl. "That's supposed to be a joke? That's not funny."

"You should have seen your reaction," Jareth said recovering from his fit of laughter. "No, they don't eat children, never have. Goblins have incredibly sharp teeth. I presumed that's how that little rumor started. They did steal children but not to eat them. Human children are small, and, to goblins, look like playmates. However, once a child was older, he would abandon the goblin hoard. The oldest human settlement is northeast of here. It's been there longer than this kingdom. Nevertheless, like most small creatures, goblins love to annoy the living shit out of everyone around them."

Sarah gave him a large smile. "Speaking from experience, I take it."

"You have no idea," he said grimly as he tossed back his fifth… no, sixth drink. "And they're greedy as well. Grab whatever they see and claim it as theirs. They're basically hoarders. Most fights in the Goblin City are between merchants and potential customers—one accusing the other of stealing. Could drive anyone mad."

"So, how did the Goblin Kingdom happen? Did they just vote you as king?" Sarah inquired; Jareth scoffed.

"Even now, if you asked them what a vote is they would stare at you as though you are have three heads. All you see around you was due to my mother. Somehow, some way, she gained the trust of the goblins and the other creatures roaming these lands. I guess it's not hard to imagine. Goblins were outcasts in the Underground, and anyone who wasn't a goblin was running from something. And who better to lead them than an Unseelie exile. With no one to help them or ensure their safety, their lives were brutish and short. Being an Unseelie, mother was used to the chaos that creatures like goblins cause. Through her magic, mother raised this castle from the ground and placed the Labyrinth around it. Never would anyone or thing be able to easily trespass on the ones she loved again. She guaranteed the goblins in the area safety if they swore fealty. True, they have no idea what the actual word 'fealty' means, but they are oddly loyal creatures. To this day, very few goblins live outside the Goblin City and the Labyrinth."

"Your mother never wanted to rule yet she ended up with a separate kingdom of her own? How ironic and sad," she mused.

"She did whatever it took to keep us alive and safe, as any parent would. She just had peculiar methods about doing things. She soon claimed all the land not yet occupied by either of the Courts. As the Great War waged on, refugees, mostly from the Seelie Court, fled to my mother for shelter. Soon, towns and villages outside the Labyrinth formed for the war weary to live. Cian asked for help from my mother only once. She had no army, only small brigades stationed in these newly formed towns. She said that this war was not hers to fight, that she wanted nothing to do with the thing."

"I understand why Cian wouldn't attack your mother's new kingdom, but why did Oberon not just run her over?" Sarah asked.

"Ah, yes. About that," he said as he got up to pour himself another drink. "Mother started giving the stolen children to the fae in the Seelie Court who couldn't have children of their own, since fae are horrible at breeding their own offspring." Jareth walked back to the couch to sit. "She couldn't stop the goblins from wanting to go Aboveground and causing mischief; I assume it's in their blood to be obnoxious. However, the goblins agreed to take human children only when they were wished away, that way only unwanted children would be taken rather than those who were loved by their family. During one of the first few times that a child was wished away, its guardian screamed and begged for the child to be returned. That's why anyone who wanted the child back would have to run her maze. Mother loved games, and playing them on thoughtless humans was perfect for her and a brilliant way to weed out those who didn't deserve to care for a child. She initially thought to send the children to the human villages, but she heard rumors that Oberon was planning to attack her newly formed kingdom, as though he didn't have enough to worry about with the Great War still waging on. Mother knew that pure isolation would never work- not for long anyway; she would have to make herself and her kingdom useful. She brought the first babe to the Seelie Court opening spring ceremony. Everyone throughout the Underground knew that the niece of the Troll King struggled for centuries for a child, they being one of many fae unable to conceive. She presented the surprised couple with the babe and stated she was willing to give the gift of a child to those who were unable to as long as the Seelie Court abstains from molesting the Goblin Kingdom. Oberon readily agreed, seeing that this would continue to boost his popularity with the war-weary masses. Since then, no Seelie army has ever stepped foot on this Kingdom."

"Please tell me your army isn't those goblins?" Sarah asked.

"I would surely have been killed if that were the case. The goblins are just used to slow down the runner. I have a real army, nearly two million strong. Several barracks are located throughout the kingdom. They consist of mostly humans, fae, and elves. There are few centaurs," he explained. "Dwarves and goblins are too small, and there are no trolls in my kingdom, and pixies are just loathsome creatures; I wish they'd leave."

"And your brother?"

Jareth's head quickly turned to glare at Sarah. "What about him?" he said tersely.

"Why is he King of the Unseelie?"

"Lochlan has a deep love for my mother yet an immense hatred of her legacy. Her brokering a treaty with Oberon, the fae we both believed order our father killed, causes him anger to this day. When he finally became of age, he told mother that he wanted to take the Unseelie throne after Cian. She was saddened that my brother would choose a side in what she believed was a never ending tug-of-war yet allowed him to make his choices. He left shortly after his thirteenth birthday to help fight in the War alongside my uncle. I stayed with mother, helping in the kingdom and readying myself to take her place. A few years later, mother…" Jareth's voice began to strain. "She became tired. In fairness, she was always tired. I saw it in her eyes ever since father died. She did all she could to guarantee we were okay. It appeared that, as soon as she knew we could make it on our own, she made the decision to go into the Fade. She left a few months after my eighty-seventh birthday."

"So the clear crystals you make: that's because you share a Seelie and Unseelie magical background?" Sarah asked; Jareth gave a nod.

"But your brother has a purple crystal?"

"He chose to become a fully dark fae, rescinding his Seelie magic. I heard that's a painful process. That's why his eyes are black, and his nails always extended," he explained.

Sarah stared at Jareth's gloved hands. She reached over and grasped his left hand with hers. Sarah felt his hand tense, but he did not move away. She slowly removed the glove. She lightly caressed his palm. His hand was pale with long, yet muscular fingers. His nails were short and cut to the bed.

"Sarah," Jareth breathed.

His face contorted into one of a silent, pleading sadness. Her thumb moved over one of his knuckles where she gently pushed down; sharp nails extended out, nearly an inch, into a point. She looked up to see his intense glare on her then back down to his finger nails.

"This is why you wear gloves, to hide your nails?"

"I can't always control them. How would you feel if you saw these every day? Those who don't gawk in fear would scream in terror." Jareth stretched out his hand, allowing all five nails to extend out. She traced the pointed outline of his nails with the pad of her fingers.

"They're not so bad," she said. Sarah lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss on his fingers. As she traced over his nails, something Jareth said earlier raised her interest.

"How…" Sarah hesitated. "How old are you?"

Jareth withdrew his hand and stared into his glass as though contemplating the answer.

"Two thousand two hundred and thirty seven in three months. Are you going to make me a cake?"

Sarah stared at him, trying to make her now gaping mouth close.

"Surprised by my age, or my ability to remember it accurately?" Jareth asked slowly, his words starting to become a bit slurred. This new development didn't stop him going to the drink cart to pour himself another glass.

"Uh, both actually. You've been here, in this castle, for over two millennia?"

"And where else am I to live?" he said as he pour another drink.

"Have you been alone for over two thousand years?"

"Are you blind to all the goblins running around? Can't go ten feet without nearly tripping over them," Jareth said.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it. Your mother's been gone for a very long time. You've never married, have you?"

Jareth leaned against the wall near the drink cart, staring straight at her. He let out a low chuckle, clearly amused by Sarah's question, which confounded her.

"I know it may sound ridiculous to you, sweet naïve Sarah, but not many females are willing to wear the moniker of Goblin Queen." Jareth emptied his glass in one gulp and immediately filled it again. Sarah became slightly concerned with his alcohol intake. He was clearly proving that he was not human.

"Are you kidding? The Court is filled with blood sucking harpies who would do anything to have 'Queen' in front of their name."

"I've been around those faes, and you really should apologize for your slanderous words against harpies. What have they ever done to you? And make sure you watch out for their talons. Nasty sharp things, they are." Jareth grabbed a full bottle off the cart and walked over the couch to sit. Sarah raised a questioning brow.

"Thirsty?" Sarah joked.

"I'm tired of walking. Much better to stay seated while drinking," he explained.

"Your words are being to sound slurred," she pointed out.

"Good. I'm finally getting my desired effects."

"You don't want to speak to me?" she asked almost offended.

"I'm speaking of events that I haven't spoken of in over two millennia. I believe I'm allowed to drink my way through this."

"Sure. I understand," she said standing only to have Jareth's reach out and push her back down. She thanked the gods for the cushioning on the couch. He glared at her confused frown.

"Just because it causes me discomfort, doesn't mean these stories shouldn't be said, that you shouldn't be told them," he explained. "I owe you explanations. Now ask your questions."

"I don't know if I want to ask anymore. I wouldn't want you to get alcohol poisoning," she said.

Jareth scoffed. "I don't have many talents, but one of the few that I do have is this." He held up his glass. "I should have had Goblin Ale put in here. Remind me to have Avitus to do that later."

Sarah let out a small laugh that she covered with her hand and shook her head.  _As long as he's not going to pass out on me, I guess he's fine._

"So why wouldn't one of those lovely fae from the Court want to marry you? We've both established that they'll jump on anything with a title in front of his name. You may not want to marry them, but that doesn't mean they think that of you."

"Because, Sarah, even they have enough self-respect to not marry an abomination," he said matter of factly. The casual tone of Jareth's explanation caught her off guard. It was almost as though he actually believed that insult.

"Why would you say that about yourself?" she asked in a worrying tone.

Jareth held his ungloved hand up and, again, extended his nails out in answer to her question.

"So you're different. Doesn't mean you should be alone. Are you telling me no one will go near your? That you're some sort of eunuch?"

Jareth let out a snort. "Do I look like a eunuch?"

"You look drunk," Sarah countered.

He shrugged. "Fair enough. As for your question: women will come near—for a price. Most of them like gold, but others select opals," he said.

"You… you use prostitutes?" Sarah tried to keep her voice level, not wanting to sound as though she was passing judgment.

"Watch your tongue, Sarah," he said. "They prefer to be called courtesans."

A long silence stretched between the two of them with Sarah unable to find the right words.

Jareth let out a long sigh. His ungloved hand rubbed his face in exasperation. His head fell back to rest on the back of the couch. "I've finally found a way to repulse you. Although, I can't really blame you; nothing is more appalling than a king forced to pay for pleasure."

"Stop saying that. You don't repulse me; you never have," she whispered.

"Then why the silence?"

"I don't know what to say that wouldn't sound like pity," she admitted. Jareth looked at Sarah, wanting her to continue.

"Over two thousand years, Jareth. That's how long you've been without any real family. Everyone outside your kingdom looks down on you, and that's bullshit. Your mother established a self- sustaining kingdom, and you kept it going. You provide countless people with children; you don't have to give them to the Seelie. Your kingdom can fully defend itself, yet you have actively kept peace within your borders. You don't have to put up with Oberon's crap, yet you do." Sarah placed her drink on the table in front of her. She grabbed Jareth's face. "You're a good king, Jareth. A good fae. Even if you are drunk out of your mind right now," she said having received a whiff of him. He might as well have bathed in the booze.

Jareth slowly rubbed his face against her hands. "Do you truly believe me to be good?" he asked in a low tone.

"Yes," she said confused by his actions. Jareth pounced on Sarah, pinning her between him and the couch. He restrained her wrists on either side of her head. He was the fastest drunk she had ever encountered. Maybe he wasn't as drunk as she thought.

"But good is so boring," he drawled as he traced her neck and shoulders with languid kisses.

"You're so smashed," Sarah laughed.

"I'm not that drunk, and rest assured, Precious. Everything still works." He punctuated his statement by pressing his hips against hers. A small gasp escaped her as she felt his arousal.

"You're terrible," she laughed. "You have no shame."

Jareth kissed his way to her chest. "I'm terribly good as you are about to find out." Sarah freed one of her wrist and grabbed him by his hair to pull him back to her face.

"You have a habit of pulling my hair. I shall punish you for assaulting the crown," Jareth muttered as he tried to lower his head again, but Sarah's grip held him in place above her.

"Release me, wench. I wish to kiss you," he growled.

"Jareth, you're too drunk," Sarah reasoned as she released his hair. "You wouldn't remember anything anyways."

"Don't doubt my memory, Precious." He captured her lips in a passionate kiss. "And, I always remember our encounters, even the painful ones."

Sarah needed to find a way to distract him from his carnal pursuits. "Your favorite color?" Sarah asked suddenly.

"What?" Jareth blinked, surprise breaking through the haze of alcohol.

"You never told me. What's your favorite color?"

He kissed her ear and whispered, "Grey."

"Why the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked.

Jareth returned to his new favorite activity: kissing Sarah's neck. "I already told you, my mother—"

"No, I meant the book," she clarified, gently pushing against him.

A sighed escaped his lips. "And I almost got away with not explaining that."

Jareth sat up and helped Sarah up as well. She still had questions that needed to be answered, and besides, she'd made out with drunken guys before- those were never fun experiences for her.

"It wasn't planned, giving you the book; I was desperate," he said.

"What? Why?" Sarah asked.

"Because the only thing I truly cared about was leaving, and I had no reassurances that you would ever come back to me!" he shouted, pain emanating from his eyes.

Unable to look him in the face Sarah studied her hands where they lay in her lap. She knew how difficult this was for him, but she had to know everything.

"It showed that you took children. I didn't know that," she said. "Before I left, I knew nothing about your duties. Yet it showed up. How did it show up in the book?"

"The book was enchanted with my magic. It portrayed me as the Goblin King, full regalia and all. That book was the only thing that I could think of in that brief moment to bring you back," he said. "Of course, you had to be a moody human teenager, casting me as the villain. As though I didn't have enough hurdles to go through."

"But I didn't remember you, and I wouldn't have—"

"As I said, the book wasn't planned. Part of me hoped that you would remember the moment you came back to the Underground. That obviously didn't occur. You were supposed to lose, everyone loses. Once you lost, I would have thought of some way to get your memories back. Having you near me was all that mattered. That was the purpose of the peach. I was hoping if you forgot about the child, if I could tell you what was really happening, maybe you would remember. I became distracted and ran out of time. Clearly, I failed. All I managed to do was to cause you to abhor me."

"No. No. That's not true. I never hated you. You never repulsed me. You scared the shit out of me. Even after I was returned home, I was afraid. Up until a few days ago, I was still apprehensive, but I never hated you," she explained as she reached for his hand. "Your oddly private garden, that's—"

"A reminder to never fail again. I don't necessarily take my advice, but it gave me something to do with my downtime. The irises are you favorite; I made sure to plant them everywhere," he said with a small smile.

"I remembered what everything meant except for the primroses. What do those mean?" she asked.

Jareth winced a little and regretted telling her that he would answer all her questions.

"You know, you never were supposed to be able to have access to that garden. That damn magic of yours is going to ensure that I never have any secrets," he said stalling.

"What do primroses mean?" she whispered.

"I…I can't live without you." His confession struck a chord within her.

Sarah straddled Jareth's lap and forcefully kissed his lips. Jareth's shock lasted for less than a second before he eagerly responded to her advances. Jareth dropped his other glove on the ground. His bare hands reached around to her back and began fumbling with the bra hooks underneath her shirt.

"Damn these human contrivances," Jareth snarled. Sarah slowly kissed under his chin snaking her way down his neck. She reached behind her and easily unfastened the hooks, pulling the restraining garment off her chest.

"That wasn't so hard," she teased. Jareth grabbed her waist and dropped them both to wooden floor, keeping Sarah on her back.

Jareth snipped at her neck. "Don't taunt me."

He moved his head to kiss her lips, his tongue begging entry into her mouth which she willingly allowed. His hand reached up under Sarah's shirt and began massaging one of her breast. His fingers slowly twisted her erect nipple, causing her to arch her back in response. Sarah reached down between their bodies and gently took hold of his shaft through his trousers. Her languorous finger trailed up and down his shaft, ensuring she touched every available inch. He lowered his hips in response. As his hips moved, he let out a low throaty groan in Sarah's mouth, increasing the intensity of their kiss. Jareth cursed the concept of trousers, wanting nothing to come in between him and his Sarah. Just as he was about rip apart both of their clothing, he ceased his movement, going completely still.

"Fuck!" he yelled.

Sarah should have been afraid at his seemingly random outburst, but she just looked up at him in stunned silence. An apologetic Jareth stared down at her face as he brought up a hand and snapped his fingers.

A young male voice filled the air. "This is so stupid! I wish those stupid goblins would take you away right now!"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Sarah panted trying not to laugh at the absurd situation they both found themselves in. "I guess this means you have to go to work."

"I haven't received a bloody call in a month," he grumbled as he helped Sarah to her feet. "The Fates have conspired against me!"

"Don't be so maudlin. I'll still be here in thirteen hours," she said with a sly smile.

"Maybe, they'll decide not to run. I'll make an enticing offer. And know this: I'll find you," he said in an almost threatening tone as he nipped her bottom lip. "We're going to finish we'll start again and finish and then start again…"

"Okay! Okay!" Sarah pushed him away as she blushed. "Go away. Someone has a maze to run."

As Jareth turned and stalked toward the window, he grumbled, "I shall throw that youth into the dungeon." He then transformed into an owl and flew out the window.

Sarah ran toward the window. "Be nice!" Sarah called out as his form disappeared in the sky.


	17. Chapter 17

_Offer me my deathless death_

* * *

 

Staring at the moonlight shining into her room, Sarah lay on her bed having awakened for roughly the third time since Jareth left. If she had to guess, she believed it was four o'clock in the morning, maybe three. She was never truly good at guessing the time of night. Thoughts of the Goblin King passed through her mind and not just thoughts of his impressive member. She found it amusing how only a few weeks ago she believed Jareth to be her adversary who possibly wanted to harm her. Apparently taking away her brother was his version of asking her out.  _He is an odd individual_ , she thought as a large smile crossed her face. The fact that he desired her caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. Only one boy ever gave her flowers, and that was in high school. Sarah remembered that he was the first boy she said she loved. She never had anyone in her life build a garden in her memory. She sat up in her bed quickly.

"Am I falling in love with him?" She whispered to the empty room. "Oh shit." Prior to this night, she'd felt herself growing closer to Jareth. However, she always felt herself running into a wall that wouldn't allow her to fully trust him. Although he had never proven himself untrustworthy, Jareth was doing himself no favors by holding himself from her. But he was no longer an enigma, a mystery to be solved. She now saw him as he truly was: a lonely, misunderstood king who shunned the outside world knowing he would only be rejected.

Sarah climbed out the bed, careful to not trip over the long hem of her nightgown. "Well, at least he has a job," she mused. Dylan was the only employed guy that she'd ever dated. Although she thought he was going to be fired one day; he was a dreadful teacher. Sarah shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts of her recent failed relationship.

Earlier that night when Jareth finally told her everything, it had felt like a breakthrough. Jareth no longer was this puzzle she couldn't figure out. He finally opened himself up to her, and she knew things would no longer be the same between them. Sarah decided that a relationship with Jareth would be different. He was different, and this time she wouldn't foolishly throw away his affections.

Sarah fastened her purple robe at her waist, thankful that at her request for the robe and nightgown was made quickly by the seamstress. Not being able to sleep, she wandered to the throne room. The hallways leading to the throne room were dark except for the sconces alight with fire that helped illuminate her path. As she got closer to her destination, the light from the room felt blinding; loud noises assaulted her ears as she approached the side archway.

"What the hell are they yelling about so early in the morning?" She mumbled. A loud shrieking cry pierced her ears and rose above the normal goblin chaos. As she stumbled into the throne room, her eyes disregarded the goblins around her and focused on the source of the cry: a toddler being held like a football by a medium sized goblin in the middle of the room.

Sarah marched toward the goblin and grabbed the toddler from the stunned goblin's grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"We takin' care of the babe while King is in the Labyrinth," said a large goblin sitting in the corner drinking what seemed to be beer.

_Really? The sun isn't even up_ , she thought.

"Well, that is not how you hold a child," she said to the goblin, which still gazed up at her. Soon, the child calmed down and clutched Sarah's neck, not wanting to let go; the child whimpered softly.

"Yeah, I know," she said to the little girl. "It can't be fun to be held like a ball." The little girl's whimper grew louder, foreshadowing a full-on tantrum. "Hey! Could you guys keep it down?" The room became instantly quiet, which unnerved Sarah a bit. Jareth was right: goblins may be insufferable, but they sure followed orders well.

"Oh, no. Don't cry, sweetie," she pleaded. She kissed the girl on the forehead and bounced her up and down. The toddler couldn't be assuaged and released a loud sob. Sarah hummed a song that she remembered from her Aboveground childhood. It may not be a real memory, but she still found comfort in its words.

"People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one, and we've only just begun," she quietly sang to the still whimpering toddler. As she continued the sobbing slowly began die down. Noticing the music was calming her, Sarah continued, hoping that the little girl would fall asleep.

"And even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with you, honey. And everything will bring a chain of love."

Jareth reappeared in the throne room and immediately noticed the goblins were not only quiet but staring in the same direction. That is when he heard the sobbing of the toddler and the soft singing coming from the fae in front of him. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that the sweet melody came from Sarah. He knew he should announce his arrival. Taking care of the babe was not her responsibility. Those daft goblins were to keep watch. However, he allowed her to continue, not wanting the moment to end. Jareth never heard her sing before, and he was not going to stop her singing now.

"…And in the morning, when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes and tell me everything is gonna be alright," she sang as she slowly turned and swayed toward the throne. "Oh, hey," she said, almost forgetting to whisper for fear of waking up the little girl. "I didn't hear you come in."

Jareth took the child from Sarah. "I didn't want to interrupt," he softly said. "Your voice is lovely. I've never heard it before." He snapped his fingers. Within a few seconds, Darcy walked in the side entryway. "Take her," he whispered. "These fools clearly have forgotten how to watch a child."

"Yes, Sire," she said as she took the child away. The throne room erupted with goblin ruckus the moment Darcy left.

Jareth rubbed his face with both gloved hands. "I should have sent her to the nursery when she first arrived."

As Jareth turned to face her, Sarah took in his full appearance. Dressed in all black with a long cape and high neck collar, he was the same regalia that he wore the night she first met him. At least, the night she first met him as a human.

"May I ask what you are staring at?" he asked as his eyes caught her gawking stare.

"I've haven't seen you dressed like that in a very long time," she said wistfully.

Jareth let out a heavy sigh. "Bloody hell. I didn't realize I would upset you." Before Jareth could snap his fingers to change, Sarah stopped him.

"No! I mean, I'm not upset. Just caught off guard, that's all. So, what's the story with the little girl?" she said.

"Her young overseer was watching over her; she lived in an orphanage. The place seemed a bit rundown. Her name is Vera, and apparently, she wouldn't stop crying as you can attest," he explained.

"And he's running now?"

Jareth sat down in his throne, tossing one leg over the side. "Bloody idiot took two hours to get into the Labyrinth. He just kept running up and down the length of it like a headless chicken."

"He's not going to make it, is he?"

"No one ever makes it. Well, almost no one," he said with mock disdain. Jareth gestured for Sarah to approach him. When she came within arms' reach, he grabbed her by the waist, causing her to fall into his lap. "I'm still cross about that by the way," he muttered into her hair. She shivered while he planted soft kisses behind her ear.

"Hey, I already agreed to a rematch," she said.

"Ah, yes. I forgot. I might have to take you up on that soon," he chuckled. He finally noticed Sarah's attire. "Is there a reason why you are wearing night clothes outside your chambers?" Internally, he was cursing that seamstress. Sarah talked to the elf before he could.

"I couldn't sleep. So I decided to check up on you, I guess," she shrugged. "Actually, I couldn't sleep."

"How touching," he joked. "As you can see, I have the best crew of misfits one could hope for."

Suddenly, the main doors to the throne room slammed open. Jareth stood up immediately, placing Sarah in his throne. In hobbled a very disgruntled looking Hoggle with what appeared to be orange and red feathers sticking out of his clothing. Sarah covered her mouth trying in vain to suppress the laughter brought about by such a sight.

"Gah! You deal with that kid. He ain't got no use for no one he keeps sayin.' If that's the case, why's he always tryin' to get himself killed," grumbled the dwarf.

"Having fun, Hedwig?" Jareth said with a smile.

"Three times!" Hoggle stretched out three fingers toward Jareth to emphasize his point. "Three times he attempt to climb them walls. I ain't even gonna feel bad if he falls off a ledge."

"You know the Labyrinth won't kill anyone, unfortunately," he sighed. "We all must keep watch to ensure he doesn't hurt himself."

Sarah walked off the throne dais. "Having a bad day, Hoggle?" she said.

Hoggle looked behind Jareth to see Sarah approaching. "Oh um, hello, Sarah," he said blushing.

Jareth let out a low snarl and pushed Sarah behind him, not allowing her to get closer to the dwarf.

"What's your problem?" Sarah scowled.

"You're not properly dressed," he hissed.

"I'm fully clothed and wearing a robe. Why are you freaking out?" Her eyes squinted at him "Are... are—you're not jealous of Hoggle?"

"It's very late. You should get back to your chambers," he sneered. "I doubt this boy will give up before the full thirteen hours."

"Nice diversion. Fine. I'll see you later," she said as she walked out of the throne room. "Good luck, Hoggle."

Jareth faced Hoggle, whose face was a bright shade red.

"Wipe that look off your face, dwarf," Jareth chided.

* * *

A rough nudge woke Sarah out of her restful slumber. As her eyes opened, a set of yellow eyes peered back at her.

"Ah, you woke up this time," Darcy said as she back away from the bed.

"This time?" Sarah mumbled.

"That's the fourth time I tried to wake you up," Darcy explained.

"What time is it?" Sarah muttered.

"Almost noon. You slept clear past breakfast," Darcy said as she pushed back the window curtains.

Sarah groaned and embedded her face back into the pillows.

"Oh, no you don't. I brought you some food, and it's not going to get cold because you can't get your butt out of bed," Darcy stated.

"Fine. Fine. I'll get up. Is the runner still in the maze?" Sarah asked.

"Nah, he gave up hours ago," she said. "His Majesty has been finding the girl a new family."

"He's going to send her to the Seelie Court?" Sarah inquired as she made her way to her breakfast waiting for her on the table.

"Of course. He's done it for years. Why wouldn't he now?" Darcy said.

Realizing that the goblin probably had no idea about the melee that was occurring in the Seelie Court, Sarah tried to recover. "Oh, I don't know. I just thought he didn't like them. That's all."

"When you're King, you don't always get to deal with those you like," Darcy said. "I'll come back later to retrieve those dishes. I'll be in the servants' corridor if you need me."

Sarah quickly tended to her bathroom needs and dressed in an ankle length white day dress. It was a good thing that the dress was so lovely because fastening those buttons was almost more trouble than its worth. She gathered her breakfast that was left on the small table by the couch and took it to the outdoor table setting. Considering the madness that was now the norm in her life, she found her most peaceful moments had been here in the Goblin Kingdom. Granted, her most frustrating and irritating moments occurred here as well. She now saw those moments as the normal, awkward growing pains of their relationship. Sarah still felt happiest here, even when Jareth was at his worst. She may not be at her home, whether that was the Court or upstate New York, but she had everything she needed here: her friends on one side of her and a tenacious fae king that would never leave her side on the other.

* * *

The early afternoon air was light and the sun was shining in the royal gardens. Having nothing better to do, she decided to take a stroll among the flowers. She had only been in the royal gardens for a few minutes before she stopped in front of a relatively small swath of ivy with blue flowers growing on the castle's side. The ivy wall was odd, she thought, since it was the only part of the castle that had greenery of any kind on it.

"What sort of creature would dare to step foot in my gardens?" a voice said from behind her. Sarah turned from the wall to gaze at Jareth walking toward her.

"After all this time, you're going to kick me out now?" Sarah smiled. Jareth came to a stop, barely a foot in front of her.

Jareth's forehead touched Sarah's as he said, "I would more likely cut off my own arm than to send you away, Precious."

"I heard the runner failed, and the child was sent to the Seelie Court. You didn't go there, did you?"

Jareth scoffed as he slightly backed away. "If I delivered the babe, they truly would know something was wrong. Conway, Avitus' assistant, always goes in my stead," he explained. "Admiring the flowers again, are we?"

Sarah shrugged. "What do you expect? You have such a variety here. Someone might as well appreciate it. I heard you actually don't care for the them."

"My mother loved them, very much out of character for her kind. It seems that the two women in my life care for all this foliage. Seems wise to keep these green buggers around," he said as his gloved fingers traced her collarbone.

" _Green buggers_? Well, it's nice to know one of us has good taste," she said. "Hint: it's not you."

Jareth decided to ignore her comment. There were more important things to attend to.

"Have you forgotten our little lunch date?" he muttered.

Before Sarah could ask what he was referring to, Jareth's lips descended onto hers with enough force to push her against the ivy wall. Her hands reached for his shoulders, latching on. As Jareth pressed her into the wall, she realized the ivy wall was no longer at her back. Pushing hard against his shoulders and putting an end to his kisses, Sarah took in her surroundings. The room looked like her chambers but with more masculine colors. Various greys were present throughout the room.

She raised a suspicious eyebrow and crossed her arms. "I thought you said we're going to have lunch."

"I apologize for the confusion. It seems as though, for now, I'll be the only one eating during this lunch date," he mumbled into her ear. Sarah gasped and gave him a look of mock shock and umbrage.

Jareth rolled his eyes as he took off both the gloves from his hands. "Don't act so virginal, Precious. Or have I missed something?" His high eyebrow rose even higher.

"You said you didn't want to know about my past relationships," she said.

"I don't need details," he growled.

"No, Jareth," she sighed in faux exaggeration. "I'm not untouched." She brought her hand up to her forehead, pretending to faint.

"Good. Virgins are boring," he said as he turned Sarah around to face the door. Her hands came up to keep her body from pressing against the wood.

"I promised I'd find you," he growled out.

"I wasn't hiding,"she whispered.

His deft fingers making quick work of the buttons she worked so hard to fasten.

"All work and no play make Jareth a dull boy," he slowly chanted while he kissed the newly exposed skin and unhooked each button. Sarah's breath quickened as she let out a low chuckle, amused by the king's playfulness.

Jareth clutched her hips as he leisurely kissed her back as he stood to his full height, nuzzling the side of her neck.

"Such a lovely dress," he purred as he pulled down her dress straps. "It would be a shame to ruin it." The dress dropped to her feet; when cool air hit Sarah's skin, she pushed away from the door bringing her arms up to her chest. Jareth snatched her hands away from her body and pushed them against the door again; he leaned his body into hers.

"Ugh. It's cold in here," she complained in idle protest.

"I don't think so," he chided as his hand reached up to caress her breast. "I'm the only one who gets to keep you warm." Sarah melted from the inside out when his left hand continued his languid strokes while he nipped and sucked her neck.

"Jareth," she whispered. He grunted as he pushed her against the door; his right hand ventured down toward her pussy. Sarah pressed her ass against his body in approval. As his fingers dipped into her core, Jareth found her wet and wanting. He turned her around to face him.

She launched herself at him as Jareth pushed her up against the door. Sarah's kiss was hungry and desperate, and he fully reciprocated her advances.

With a groan, Jareth tore away from her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw. He nipped her neck and tugged at her skin. He reached down and wrapped one hand around the back of her knee and lifted her leg up around his thigh.

He pressed into her harder. Sarah let out a soft moan as her hands slid up his arms and her fingers gripped his shoulders as she lifted her foot off the ground. He shifted slightly and caught her other leg. Her soft body and gentle curves welcomed him as his cock strained against his trousers.

His lips captured hers again. Tongue met tongue. Breath mingled with breath.

Her hands slid up over his head; his fingers flexed around her thighs. She rocked against him, and he shoved himself against her.

Forcing an end to the kiss, Jareth looked into her face, his hips still pumping against her.

She tightened around him and gasped as her lower body bore down on him. She was going to come. He could see it in her face, feel it in the tensing of her muscles.

"Ohh… fuck…" she whispered as he surged up hard. The whisper turned into a whimper as he ground into her.

She gasped loudly as she came, and he strained not go with her. He succeeded but barely as she bucked and shuddered in his arms. This had been the most sensual thing he had done his long life, but luckily for the both of them, there was plenty of time left in the day and more opportunities to top it which he planned to do.

Jareth walked them both to his bed with Sarah still holding tight to him.

"Oh god," she said languorously as she clutched tighter to him. She had yet to fully recover but felt uncomfortably shaken by his sudden movements.

Stopping at the foot of the bed, he said, "Let go, Precious. There's more I want to do that doesn't involve you clutched to me." Jareth almost laughed at himself when he realized he was telling Sarah to stop holding on to him. No worries though. She would be holding onto him again soon enough.

When her hands released their grip on him, he slowly lowered her onto the bed. The part of her brain that was still functioning realized that she was surrounded by large cotton-like coverlet. She was sure that she would find his bed lovely and comfortable later.

She looked over to see Jareth quickly removing his shirt, leaving his pendant, trousers, and boots in place. The amount of time she spent previously touching him didn't prepare her for seeing him without a shirt. He was stronger than he appeared fully clothed. He had broad shoulders but a slim waist. The best description she could think of was that of a swimmer's body. His sinewy physique flexed as he moved back to her. Sarah backed up to the headboard, but Jareth seized her leg, halting any further movement.

"And where do you think you're going?" he purred.

Jareth dropped down on the bed but braced himself as his body hovered over her. She stared up into those beautiful eyes of his. She knew how he kissed and how he could make her feel when he touched her. No one had ever tempted her that much, and her body had reacted to him in ways it never had before.

"Nowhere," she breathed. "I wasn't going anywhere."

"Good girl," he growled. Jareth shifted his weight, lowering down her body. Instead of hovering over her face, he hesitated over her stomach, giving her abdomen a kiss before his gaze moved to her thighs.

"Open up for me," he purred. He licked his lips slowly, and Sarah's body throbbed in response.

She uncrossed her ankles, complying with his demands. His strong hands gripped her hips, gently nudging her into the position he wanted, which was her legs opened, place over his shoulders, and with her heels on his back.

She couldn't miss the feeling of his hot breath fanning over her exposed sex. Another loud purr came from him as his hot tongue swiped her clit. Her fingers clawed the bedding as he started to lick her in rapid, long strokes. Pleasure was instant and intense. Jareth moved his tongue in ways she'd never thought possible while he teased and zoned in on the exact spot that send raw ecstasy cascading through her body. She tensed hard, and her legs would have slammed shut if not for Jareth. He held her down when her hips started to rise from the bed. The climax tore through Sarah brutally, and she cried out. She was surprised by how fast and hard she'd come. Her eyes were closed while she floated down from euphoria and tried to calm her ragged breathing.

Sarah heard Jareth panting louder than her and gasped when his tongue suddenly lowered to the opening of her pussy. He growled and vibrated against her while his tongue breached her body. Her muscles were still twitching and contracting as she realized his hands had slid under her ass, lifting her from the bed a few inches to allow for deeper penetration.

"Oh god," she moaned. His tongue moved inside her, in and out, before it withdrew completely.

She forced her eyes to open and stared in shock as he lifted up until he bent over her. He had a wild look in his amazing eyes, and he nearly lunged for her breast, drew it into his mouth hard and frantically suckled on her. It made her cry out again at the wonderful sensation.

Something thick and hard nudged her pussy. She gasped as his cock started to press into her where his tongue had just been. She must have missed him removing his trousers; clearly she was too busy. He lowered over her, her body pinned flat under him with just enough weight on her to keep her where he wanted. Her muscles stretched to accommodate his size. He entered her slowly, allowing her body to adjust to him, and her fingers grabbed at his head, sliding into his thick tresses from something to hold on to. Pure pleasure gripped her as he sank into her.

A thought quickly raced through her head. "Stop!" she yelled. He froze and his mouth left her breast. Jareth had a wild look in his eyes, the sheer need of his desire marked clearly by the harsh tension of his features.

"Don't make me stop," he said, his voice rough. "I need you." Sarah put her fae strength to use, rolling him. One second she had been under him and the next she straddled his lap.

The bemused fae king looked up at her. "Top ten. Remember?" she said breathlessly.

A devious smile appeared on his face as one of his hands wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. While his other hand slid under her to position his finger to massage her clit. She threw back her head and sank down on him a little more.

Sarah lifted up and the pleasure of him inside her forced a moan from her lips. He was merciless with his fingers as he played with her sensitive bundle of nerves. She moved up and down, taking all of him in. The feeling of being stretched, filled, the sheer bliss of those sensations, shocked her because it was the best experience she ever had. She rode him frantically. Moans tore from her throat as her body seemed to ignite into flames.

The fae under her growled and groaned, heightening her passion. Her body tensed and shook, and she cried out when she climaxed again. Jareth roared as he climaxed with his cock buried deep inside her; his hips shook under her and warm heat spread into her pussy as he kept coming.

She collapsed onto his broad chest; they were both winded.

One of his hands gripped her hip and the other hand moved to caress his fingers up her spine until he gently fisted her hair in his hold at the base of her head. He didn't hurt her but he forced her head up until she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

He smiled at her, showing his sharp teeth as his hand slid from her hip to gently cup her ass. The smile died on his lips as Sarah felt him tense underneath her. She gasped when he rolled them on their sides, and he slowly withdrew from her. He gave her one last passionate look before he kissed her, drawing her into his arms.

Sarah leaned back a little and settled into the pillows. Still in Jareth's arms, she felt herself drifting asleep. She didn't know the reason behind Jareth's odd behavior before he finally kissed her, but in that moment, she felt a rush of emotions: peace, happiness, joy, and…love? Maybe she had finally come to the realization that she more than just cared for Jareth. Now, though, she just wanted to sleep.

As Jareth watched her fall asleep, he slowly traced his finger across her face, catching the stray hairs to tuck them behind her ear. There were many things Jareth wanted from Sarah: her friendship, her companionship, and he wasn't above admitting that he spent many nights thinking about her lying next to him. But what he wanted most from her was her love for him. He was certain that she cared for him, deeply even. But when he looked into her eyes before she fell asleep, all he wanted to tell her was how much he cared for her- how much he loved her. However, Jareth promised himself that he wouldn't put his heart in harm's way again. And when he stared into her eyes, his heart wouldn't allow him to say the words, the words he desired to say to her. He could wait until she was ready, he told himself. Until that day happened, he would continue to savor the relationship they had, hoping for the day when he could truly call Sarah his.


	18. Chapter 18

_We might still know sorrow_

_But we got better days_

* * *

 

Jareth lay awake in his bed as the sun began to rise, like he had for centuries. The difference now being that, next to him, the woman who tormented his dreams for years warmed the other half of his bed. While the room across the hall was always intended as the Queen's suite, he promised himself if he should ever be lucky enough to have someone willingly share his bed, she wouldn't be spending her time sleeping away from him. Jareth hadn't told Sarah any of this, but she would find out eventually. He reflected on the past two days, which were mostly filled with training and snarky comments that seemed to color their relationship. Actually, the magic lessons only lasted for a day and a half; yesterday came to a preposterously short end, he reminded himself.

_After spending the first part of the day trying to see if Sarah's abilities were advanced enough to transport herself or other beings (they were not), Jareth decided to move on to figuring out the emotional connection she had with her magic. They were in the outer reaches of the gardens, next to the Labyrinth's stone walls._

" _All right, Sarah. We're going to be testing some theories of mine," Jareth said as he slowly walked around her._

" _I don't like tests; I didn't have a chance to study," she joked. Sarah was feeling a bit blasé after not being able to transport the day before. Moving Things: The Advanced Course, as she liked to call it, went so well yesterday. She wasn't a fan of regression, even if Jareth claimed these types of setbacks were normal._

_Jareth breathed in deeply, attempting to ignore her jests. "We need to know the extent to which your emotions control your magic and vice versa. Now, when your magic finally connected itself with you, it didn't lash out; it was relatively calm. What were you thinking about?"_

_Sarah immediately stilled her movements and her eyes went wide. Jareth noticed her reaction and became very much intrigued._

" _Sarah," he said in a light warning tone. "What_ were _you thinking about?"_

" _You know, I don't see how this has to do with testing," she said backing away. Jareth grasped her wrists and brought her against his chest._

" _You're becoming defensive," he whispered._

" _You're being nosey," she snapped back. Jareth leaned down to give her a kiss on the lips._

" _Was I fully clothed in this daydream of yours?" Jareth asked. Sarah promptly slapped him on the shoulder; Jareth was unfazed by her useless attack. "I hope I wasn't; you rarely are in mine."_

_She turned beet red and yelled, "Jareth!" She tried to act indignant, but she couldn't hold back her laughter. "You are a piece of work, you know that right?"_

_Jareth snuck a quick kiss on her cheek. "I've been called many things; not quite sure I've been called that. But, moving on, since thoughts of_ me _prompted beautiful, gorgeous, magnificent…"_

_Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Seriously?"_

"… _splendid, red crystals, how about you try something less wonderful to think about? Every time you get upset, you're magic attacks. Try to control it; put that energy into a crystal instead of allowing it to lash out." Jareth moved behind Sarah and placed his gloved hands on her hips._

" _Is holding onto me necessary for this exercise?" she scoffed._

" _Holding onto you is necessary for many exercises," he countered. Sarah turned her head to see his predacious smile._

" _I walked right into that one, didn't I?" she mumbled._

" _Yes, Precious, you did," he chuckled. "I'm holding on to you for many reasons. Primary among them is, since you are a novice, you need something to literally ground you so things don't get out of hand and the magic doesn't overtake you. And lucky for you, I'm chivalrous enough to be your anchor."_

" _Ok, you win. So what do I do?"_

" _Same as last time: hold out your palm and think of something," he explained. "I'll be holding on to you." Jareth nuzzled her neck and kissed her shoulder._

_Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes while holding out her palm. Sarah didn't want to make herself too upset, but she couldn't stop the pain and anger she felt. She'd tampered down her feelings revolving around losing the Williams family; she didn't want to feel the hurt that accompanied thinking about her revelation. But now, she needed to tap into that wound._

_As she was thinking of an emotion, Jareth continued to hold her side. Almost a minute passed before he noticed the ground starting to shake. Problem was that tremors don't occur in his kingdom or anywhere else in the Underground._

_Before the shaking became too violent, Jareth slightly shook her and yelled, "Sarah!" The trembling immediately ceased._

_Sarah opened her eyes and another red crystal formed in her hand; she noticed Jareth's grip had tightened._

" _What happened?"_

" _Oh nothing. Just made the ground move; perfectly normal," he said sarcastically as he released her to rub his forehead._

" _I'm sor…" Jareth shot her a warning look._

" _I am not sorry that I made the ground move," Sarah corrected._

_Jareth chuckled as he said, "I see you're learning." He approached Sarah and looked down at the crystal in her hand. "That must have been a powerful emotion. What was it?"_

_Sarah thinned her lips and looked to the side. Jareth grabbed her and brought her into a tight embrace, running his hand through her hair._

" _Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry," he said. "Losing them can't be easy."_

" _It is what it is, right?" she said trying to reassure herself. "Nothing I do can change what has already happened." Sarah pulled back from Jareth and took a few steps back, regaining her composure. "So, I made the crystal. How am I going to test your theory?"_

_Jareth knew that she wasn't as accepting of losing her family as she appeared to be. She clearly was putting up an emotional wall around the situation. Having lost his family so young, he understood the pain and frustration that came with that. He would allow her to deal with the loss in her own time and at her own pace, and he would be there when she finally decided to deal._

_Jareth turned toward the Labyrinth wall and said, "Your earlier crystal produced no ill effect when you dropped it on the ground. This crystal was clearly made from a different emotion. So, I want you to throw the crystal at the wall; let's see what type of outcome it causes."_

_She threw the crystal as hard as she could. One second she was throwing a crystal at the wall. And the next, she and Jareth stood dumbfounded as not one but four of the Labyrinth's walls came crashing down, creating a giant pile of rubble._

" _Uh oh," Sarah said._

" _You took down four walls of my Labyrinth," Jareth said as he approached the rubble._

" _Oops," she softly said._

" _No one can_ just  _bring these down; they're enchanted," he said, turning back toward her, disbelief in his eyes._

" _Oops, again." Sarah shrugged and let out a nervous laugh. Jareth stalked toward her, grabbed her face, and searched her jade eyes for… something. Anything._

" _What_ is _inside you?" he whispered._

" _I don't… I don't know," she said, bewildered._

" _Don't worry. One day, we'll find out," he said reassuringly. Jareth turned and waved his hand toward the wreckage; the walls were returned to the original state._

" _That's it? They just go back to normal like that? I thought I destroyed them for good," Sarah said, stunned._

" _No, you didn't," Jareth snickered. "But I think that's enough of destroying my property for the day."_

Jareth tried not to laugh as he thought about her absurd ability to bring down the walls; no one had ever been able to do such a thing.  _She's able to beat my Labyrinth in more ways than one,_  he thought. Jareth looked over to the still sleeping brunette. A mischievous smile crept across his face as he cautiously moved to Sarah's side of the bed. He gently spooned Sarah; his naked hand snaked its way up to her chest. Unfortunately, for him and his hand, she swatted his hand away.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled into the side of her pillow.

"Now, Precious, you and I both know I can't," he muttered into her ear. Sarah promptly attempted to swat him in the face, but Jareth moved out of the way in time.

Sarah turned over to face Jareth, giving him a scowl. "See? That wasn't so hard," he said before he tried to bury his face in her shoulder.

Sarah pushed against his face and quickly hid under the sheets.

"Let me sleep. What is with you and early wake up times?" Her voice muffled from underneath the covers.

"Sarah," he said as he tried to pry the sheets from her grasp. "Wake up, my Precious thing."

"No! I'm going back to bed," she protested. "I have no use for your flowery words." In response, Jareth reached down and pinched her waist.

"Ouch!" The blankets flew off to reveal an annoyed Sarah trying to sit up. "Ugh! Thanks to you I'm awake and need to use the bathroom." Jareth sat back against his headboard, obviously proud of himself.

"I'm now certain that you just say that out loud every time you need to go," Jareth said. He was immediately met with a pillow to the face by Sarah as she stood from the bed.

"Be quiet you, Merciless King: Ruiner of Sleep," she grumbled as she made her way across the room. "Idiot," she mumbled to herself.

"I heard that," Jareth called out.

"I hope you did!" she yelled before she slammed the bathroom door shut. Sarah's sour disposition didn't dissuade Jareth as she heard his loud laughter through the door.

"Why does he have to get up so early?" She complied as she washed her hands. "And why does he have to bother me just because he's awake?"

Sarah opened the door to see Jareth standing there.

"Because watching you get frustrated is comical to me," he said in response.

"Find some other hobby, please," she said with irritation.

"Never."

"Ugh!" She yelled in exasperation as she tried to move around him to leave the bathroom. Jareth seized Sarah by her shoulders and pushed her back into bathroom.

"No, you are not allowed to get into a huff," Jareth said.

"But I want to be in a huff," she whined as she allowed him to guide her to the tub. "I'm so tired."

"Then be upset while we take a bath; you can even fall asleep in the water," he said. He waved his hand over the large claw bathtub, causing it to immediately fill with water.

"Oooh, fancy," she said.

"I prefer bubbles, don't you? Think of bubbles then wave your hand over the top of the water," he instructed. Sarah moved away from him and waved her hand across the water as she was told; the bubbles formed, as he said they would.

"Ah! Bubbles! I made bubbles!" she said with a smile.

Jareth smiled at her amusement regarding such a simple magic trick. "There you go; no more irritation."

"There would be no irritation if you would just wake up at a normal time," she said.

"No, no. Less bickering; more you being naked. Didn't I tell you to stop wearing that nightgown?" he asked as he took off his pajama bottom.

"I like wearing a nightgown. You're not the boss of me, you know." She crossed her arms as she taunted him. Jareth marched over, grabbed her arms, and gave her a forceful kiss. Sarah lost her balance and proceeded to fall in the tub, bringing Jareth with her.

"Oh my god!" she shrieked she as pushed Jareth off her. The poor nightgown was drenched; water went everywhere.

"I told you not to wear that night gown," he said, casually sitting in the tub. Sarah said nothing as she purposefully splashed water on him and pulled herself out of the water. As she walked away, she could almost hear Jareth laughing even though he said nothing.

"Don't laugh," she said with her back turned to him. "Don't you dare laugh."

Sarah made her way out of his chambers and before she could open the door to hers, she heard that trademark laughter ringing through the hall, and she scolded herself for laughing as well.

* * *

While clumsily putting on her shoes, Sarah came out of her closet much drier than when she went in.

"Are you wearing that?" came the overly judgmental tone of the fae she still wanted to slap. Sarah turned toward the door to see Jareth leaning against the door frame. He was already dressed in a white flowing shirt, grey trousers, and black boots.

"What's wrong with these clothes?" she asked as she took stock of her jeans and t-shirt combination.

"You can't show up at the Beltane festival in men's clothing," he said. Sarah threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"For the last time, these are not men's clothing; they're jeans!"

"Call it what you will, but you're not going out in that," he said.

"I'm not arguing over clothes; I'll go change," she said as she walked back into the closet.

She closed the door behind her, but that didn't stop Jareth for entering a few seconds later.

"Ah! What are you doing?" she yelled as she held her shirt up to her chest. Having just taken her top off, she stood in only her bra and jeans.

"I'm helping you pick out a dress. And why are you covering yourself?" he asked, sifting through her gowns.

"I'm perfectly capable of finding a dress; I don't want you looking at me. Get out," she ordered, still holding the shirt to her chest. Jareth stopped his rumination over her clothes to consider her fully.

"I've seen you in much less clothing that this; I'm very much aware of what lie beneath your trousers," he said.

"That's different," Sarah said. Jareth approached her and grasped her by the waist, bringing her closer to him.

"Would you like to make the situations the same?" he asked right before he placed his lips on hers.

Sarah moaned against his mouth before she reared back and said, "No." She sauntered around Jareth to grab a dress from its hanger and walked out of the closet, leaving a slightly frustrated Goblin King in her wake.

As Jareth entered her chambers, Sarah was attempting to fasten all the buttons on the back of her dress; she was failing miserably since she only had two buttons done. He shooed her hands away and finished the buttoning for her. The dress was a long, baby blue sundress that had that most difficult buttons she had ever tried to fasten.

"All you had to do was ask for help," he said as he finished with the last button.

"I almost had it," she said as she turned around.

"I would like to make it to the festival before it ends," he countered. "This dress is lovely; it would be a shame if no one saw it."

"It's all about the festival; I got it," she said.

"It's not about the festival. I just want you to enjoy yourself," he explained. "Today is a big day for my people, and I want you to feel included."

"That's sweet. I'm sure we'll both have a great time," she said as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "When are we going, by the way?"

"Now," he said.

Sarah pulled away from Jareth, noticing that he had transported them. They stood in the middle of a large town square. In the middle of the square was a large unlit bonfire. To her far left and right were two slim rectangular fountains that flanked the square. Several wooden stalls bordered the outer portion of the square; they seemed to be set up intermittently with the shops and pubs that were permanently part of the square. No customers were at these stalls yet, or even the shops for that matter, but the few people who were there looked as though they were vigorously preparing for tonight's celebration.

"For some reason, I thought there would be more people here," Sarah said as she took a look around.

"It's only late morning; this place will be filled by mid-afternoon," he said as he took her hand, leading her somewhere.

"Where are we going?" she asked, still trying to look around while Jareth pulled her along.

"To Priests Inn. We have a room there. I may have enjoyed myself too much one year. Toward the end of the night, I decided to transport myself back to the castle; except I didn't make it to the castle," Jareth explained.

"Oh no. Where did you go?" Sarah asked, almost fearing the answer he was going to give.

"A horrid swamp bordering my brother's castle; he dumped a large portion of his castle's garbage on me to wake me up. Ever since then, Avitus demands that I have a room set aside for me in the host town. Sometimes, I use it; sometimes, I don't," he said. Sarah stopped them both from walking; Jareth turned around to see why. What greeted him was Sarah's bright, red face, trying so desperately hard to not laugh at him.

"It's not that funny, Sarah" he said with annoyance.

"Yes, it is," she squeaked out, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Sarah bottled up her laughter the best she could; she knew better than laugh at a king in his kingdom while in a public place. But, the image of Jareth lying on the ground with his brother discarding his trash on him was almost too much to take. Out of all her drunken adventures in college, no story of hers could stack up to his.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you that story," he said regretfully, grabbing her arm and walking her to the inn.

"I loved that story!" she exclaimed after she calmed herself down. "Do you have any more involving people throwing things at you?"

"By the gods, why do I put up with this?" he said. Sarah grabbed his face and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Don't be so dramatic, Jareth; it makes you looks haggard," she said mockingly.

"It's nice to know you remember everything that I say," he whispered.

"There's that ego of yours. I knew it didn't go far," she said as they walked through inn's entrance.

"Get out! We ain't open yet!" came the gravelly voice at the behind the kitchen doors. Following the yell, an older-looking dwarf rushed through out of the kitchen. Upon realizing who he inadvertently shouted at, his face went pale, as pale as ruddy skin can get.

"Oh! Your Majesty! My apologies." He bowed to Jareth. "The wife keeps forgetting to lock the door, and we've had stragglers in here all day," he said as he slowly shuffled forward.

 _Uh oh,_ Sarah thought. In her mind, Jareth had never been a fan of dwarves.

"No worries, Murray," he said with a smile. "Do you have my room ready?"

At the sight of his congeniality toward this dwarf, Sarah couldn't believe it. Clearly, he only had problems with  _one_ dwarf in particular.

"Of course, I do. Had it ready since last week. Haven't had anyone in it since last week," he said as he handed Jareth the key. "Third floor; it's the only room up there."

Jareth took the key from Murray and said, "Murray, this is Sarah; She's a…friend." In all the chaos that had been surrounding the two of them, Jareth had forgotten how he would introduce Sarah outside of the Castle.

Before Sarah could say hello to the dwarf, Murray yelled, "Ha! You have friends?!" Jareth gave him a leveled stare, his mouth thinned, daring him to continue with that thought. Murray quickly recovered.

"I mean… It's just… you've never brought anyone to any of the festivals, and you don't seem like the friend type," he said, refusing to make eye contact.

 _Wow_ , Sarah thought.  _Regardless of the dwarf, they all seemed to have the habit of putting their foots in their mouths. Maybe it's genetic._

"Keep those observations to yourself for now on. Is that clear?" he snarled as he snatched Sarah's arm and made their way upstairs.

"Of course, Your Majesty," he called out.

"He didn't mean that… I think," she said as they walked up the first flight of stairs.

He let out a frustrated sigh and said, "I know he meant no harm by it. And it would be funny if it wasn't so true, but you can't just let your subject say anything to you, Sarah."

"So, I'm your friend?" she asked conspiratorially. Jareth stopped them before they went up the second flight of stairs.

"I must admit that I didn't think the matter of our relationship through before we came here," he said. "I think the appropriate term for you would be mistress."

"Hey! Take that back," she said while giving him a slight shove. "I'm no one's mistress. If you have forgotten, I am a princess in my own right. Don't you dare call me your mistress. So, you better think that over again."

"Have it your way," he said with a chuckle. "How about paramour?" he said with a more serious tone. Jareth tried to grab hold of her, but she pushed him away and pulled a face.

"Why do all of your suggestions have to be so provocative? How about you just call me your girlfriend?" she proposed as she kissed him on his nose. Although Jareth was less than enthusiastic about that very human term, he was more than thrilled that Sarah decided to label their relationship in a manner that was positive for him. Obviously, he would prefer to give her the title of "His Queen," but progress was still progress, he reminded himself.

Sarah took the key from his grasp and opened the door.

"AHH!" Sarah said in sheer giddy surprise.

"Good gods!" Jareth shouted at the same time as Sarah's shriek of delight. Both of them stared at the room's walls.

"Look at how charming this room is. It's like an old English bed and breakfast."

"It looks as though someone ate flowers and then vomited the contents of his stomach on these walls," he said with disgust.

Sarah let out an irritated breath. "It adds character, Jareth," she said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Does the character have to be all over the walls… and the bed spread?" he asked, sheer revulsion still on his face. "Oh look, a fireplace. Maybe I can set some of these ghastly items on fire."

"Oh no, you're not," she warned. "You're just visiting; it's not like you are taking this place back home with you."

"That dwarf's wife has gone overboard in her decorating; she must be stopped," he said earnestly as he reluctantly sat on the bed.

"Do you know them well?" she asked as she fell on the bed, arms spread out. Sarah was definitely more pleased with the décor than he was.

"Murray is one of the councilmembers for this region; I've known him a long time," he said, still stiffly sitting on the bed. "His wife is human, came from England, I believe, some three hundred years ago. Possibly four, I forget."

Sarah sat up slowly from the bed. "Umm… a dwarf married a human?" she asked.

"I have no rules telling my subjects who they can and can't marry. This isn't the Seelie Court," he said. Sarah had all but forgotten that Oberon had a habit of caring who married whom; Jareth was a product of that, she reminded herself.

"Wait a minute. You said she came here almost four hundred years ago. How…"

"Could she still be alive? Humans still age here, but the process is much slower thanks to the magic of the Underground. Unfortunately, Murray will still outlive her by many centuries, but that didn't stop him or the others. Countless others in my kingdom are willing to take that risk of heartbreak."

 _Well, this became totally depressing,_ she thought.

She hopped of the bed and turned to Jareth. "Any place where we can get food?"

"Yes. Downstairs," he answered. "Let's leave this horrid bedroom."

"Say one more bad thing about that room, and I'll cover you chambers with that wallpaper," she threatened. That warning quieted the king all the way down the stairs.

As they made their way into the kitchen, they were greeted by a still anxious looking Murray, holding two plates of food, the chaos that was the hard-at-work kitchen staff behind him. "I heard you making your way down; thought you might be hungry," he said with a nervous smile. "You can eat at the tavern seating." He walked out of the kitchen with the plates, Sarah and Jareth following behind. "I'll leave you two to your meal," he said as he gave a quick bow before rushing back into the kitchen.

"I don't know if he's really busy or just terrified of you," she said, looking at the still swinging door.

"Probably both," he smirked as he pulled out a chair for her.

Sarah sat down in the chair and asked, "You like to see them squirm, don't you?"

"Like isn't the word. I do, however, find it amusing," he explained, sitting next to Sarah.

When they were halfway through their meal, a tall, wiry woman whose black hair had large, grey streaks approached them for the stairwell. She stopped near their table and gave Jareth a deep curtsy.

"Lydia, I'm pleased to see you," Jareth said as the woman rose to her full height.

"I wasn't expecting to see His Majesty so early; usually you arrive right before the event," she said.

"I thought I would show Sarah around the town before the crowds and revelry take over," Jareth explained. "Sarah, this is Lydia, Murray's wife, and the decorator of our lovely room."

Lydia gave Sarah a bow before saying, "Oh, you brought someone. How magnificent. Will you be participating in the festival, Sarah?" She clasped her hands together in hopeful anticipation.

"Umm…," she said clearly confused. "You mean drinking? Yes. I'm prepared to drink."

Jareth let out an amused snort as he returned to eating. If Lydia wanted to talk planning the festival, she could do that with Sarah.

"Oh, did Murray not tell you? I told him to tell His Majesty," she said, none too pleased with her husband's action.

"Tell His Majesty what?" Jareth asked, still more concerned with his food.

"The woman, who was planned to be the May Queen, had to cancel, came down with a stomach bug of some sorts. Her husband refused to be the God of the Forest if she wasn't going to be in it. So now we're missing two important parts of the opening ceremony," she explained. "Murray was supposed to let His Majesty know that we still don't have the May Queen."

"Oh! I'll be the May Queen!" she said excitedly as she stood up. "Jareth can join too. What do we have to do?"

"No" came the flippant rejection of the king who was still paying more attention to his meal than the two women. Lydia immediately took note of the casual use of the king's name by Sarah, and his subsequent refusal to correct her.

Sarah turned to him and asked, "Why not? You love Beltane. What will you be doing anyway besides drinking?"

Jareth placed his silverware down and quickly wiped his face with a napkin. "I'll remind you that I'm the one who opens this ceremony. I can't participate and do the reading at the same time."

"We can find someone else to do the reading. Anyone can read," she countered.

"No."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're no fun," she whispered as she turned back to Lydia. "Forget it. He doesn't want to do it. So, I can be the May Queen. We can just find someone else to be the Forest guy or whatever you call it. I'm sure it won't be that hard."

Jareth stood up so fast that his chair crashed to floor, coming in between Lydia and Sarah. He gripped Sarah by her arms, murderous intent blazed in his eyes.

"No one else is going to be the God to your Queen," he snarled. She knew Jareth was jealous, but this reaction seemed a bit out of proportion. Then again, she realized that she didn't really know what she had signed up for.

Sarah looked off to the side to see Lydia smiling widely.

 _Well, she seems overly thrilled_ , she thought.

She turned back to Jareth and asked, "What the hell happens at this festival?"


	19. Chapter 19

_Raise your glass!_

* * *

Much to his dismay, Jareth sat alone in the room that was covered in flowers. He couldn't decide what was worse: being in this odious room or being alone. He may have spent his many years alone, but he was quickly becoming accustomed to having company. Nevertheless, Sarah just had to open her mouth to volunteer as May Queen. A wicked smile spread across his features. As soon as she found out what the ceremony entailed, she'd be kicking herself.

"Serves her right," he said sitting at the small writing desk, biting his nails. His extended nails had grown too long, and he was too lazy to conjure a nail file. Biting was just as efficient anyway. The habit was a terrible one that he developed as a child. He could stop at any time; he just chooses not to.

Jareth groaned. "What do you want, Lochlan?" he asked in a bored tone, not even bothering to look up.

Lochlan appeared in the room and immediately took note of his environment.

"The Fates help us! What pixie threw up in here?" he asked, just as disgusted as his brother was. Dressed in all black, Lochlan stood out greatly in relation to his surroundings. Jareth let out a snort.

"At least I'm not the only one. Sarah says it adds character," Jareth said as he looked up at his brother, who was still looking around in horror.

"Sarah's here, hm?" he asked. "And where is your little hell raiser?" Jareth put his hand down on the desk and moved his chair from the desk to regard his brother fully.

"She's around. And what need do you have of her?" he asked sharply.

Lochlan let out an irritated sigh. "Your possessiveness is showing, brother. I have no use for your female. You should know that by now. Why have one when you can have many? I find your erotic worldview limiting."

"She's off with one of the women preparing to be the May Queen," Jareth said.

"And you let her?" Lochlan asked, astonished.

"I don't  _let_  Sarah do anything," he clarified. "She's not one to ask for permission."

"And who's going be the Green Man? I would like to meet this dead man walking", Lochlan said.

"I will be playing the part," Jareth said, going back to biting his nails.

Lochlan let out a little chuckle, expecting his brother to join his laughter. But Jareth didn't.

"You're being serious?" Lochlan inquired incredulously.

"It's no big deal," he said, not making eye contact. Lochlan couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"After so little time, she's already changed you," he said.

"I haven't ch-…"

"Before she came along, you would have refused to sit in this room, let alone sleep in it. You never would consider participating in the opening ceremony," Lochlan stated. Jareth looked up at his brother but didn't say anything.

"And you also wouldn't have spoken to me for so long without threatening me in some way," Lochlan said, his voice getting softer. "I guess not all change is bad." He looked down at Jareth and noticed his hands were ungloved.

"And stop biting your nails." Lochlan made a crystal and tossed it to Jareth. The orb suddenly became a small file. "Sometimes I wonder if you're really older. Disgusting habit. Just like mother; you two spent too much time around those goblins.

"Shut up," Jareth said as he filed down his nails. "You should be ashamed by how much you love the sound of your own voice." Lochlan grabbed a padded chair that was in the corner and brought it closer to Jareth.

"Does she know?" he asked as he sat down.

Jareth carefully blew away the nail remnants. "She knows everything." He breathed in heavily. "I told her everything."

"And she's still here…with you?" he laughed. A dark looked crossed Jareth's features, causing Lochlan to cease his boisterous outburst.

"Are you here for a reason or have you decided it's been a long time since you annoyed me?" Jareth said as he went back to his nails.

"How much of a brother would I be if I didn't wish you a happy Beltane?" he said.

Jareth looked at him with suspicion; his brother never stopped by to wish him any sort of greeting in the past.

"All right. I came by to ask for three entry crystals."

Jareth looked at his brother as though Lochlan finally lost his mind. Jareth worked very hard to devise the spell that made the barriers surrounding his Labyrinth and castle possible. He was not in the habit of just giving out crystals to allow someone entry without permission.

"Why would I do something so foolish?" he asked.

"I suspect you will be enjoying the festival fully, as you do every year. I want to enter your castle without bothering you," he explained. "I assume you'll return tomorrow by midday."

"Why do you need the crystals? And why three? Who else is coming with you?"

Lochlan let out a frustrated breath. "I'm bringing people who need to talk to you; it will just be easier to have the crystals. There's no need to delve too much into this. I want you to enjoy yourself tonight." Lochlan looked him in the eye and said, "Trust me, Jareth."

Jareth placed a hand on the desk and slowly raised it, revealing six crystals beneath his palm. "Don't make me regret this," he said. "I raised a second barrier around the castle. So, you'll need two to get in."

Lochlan nodded and went to grab the orbs when Jareth stopped him.

"Does this have to do with Sarah?" he asked in earnest.

A despondent look crossed across Lochlan's face "This has to do with all of us, brother," he said as he seized the crystals and disappeared.

* * *

"Okay. This was a mistake," Sarah said as she sat in a side room of the inn. Lydia already braided sections of Sarah's hair and was flitting around doing god's know what. Various brushes were applying makeup to Sarah's face magically.

_I thought she was human_ , Sarah thought.

"Nonsense!" Lydia called back to Sarah. "This will be great. His Majesty never participates like this." Lydia came from the back corner of the room carrying an arm full of flowers.

"What are you doing with those?" Sarah asked, slightly annoyed by all the brushes on her face.

"Well, you can't be queen without a crown," she said happily as she sat in a chair across from Sarah. "I'm making a crown of flowers."

"How traditional is all this?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, well, there's a lot of room for changing things around," Lydia explained. "People here come from all over the place. So, we just pick and choose the things we celebrate. Makes it more enjoyable when things aren't so regimented."

"I don't know. He didn't want to do this. Now that you told me everything we have to do, I'm starting to think this was a mistake. I don't want to embarrass him," Sarah admitted.

"What! He was just being sour; he tends to be that way," she said weaving the flowers together. "Everyone will be thrilled. No one would be thinking ill of His Majesty

"Are you sure?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "Everyone admires him."

"Really?" Sarah asked almost not believing her. Lydia looked up from her flower arraignment. Her face lost its happy disposition.

"Many of us would be dead without him and this kingdom," she stated. "And not one of us ever forgets that. Unless one is a goblin, all of us came here running from something or someone. We're always grateful for the safety he provides us."

Sarah definitely felt like she was put in her place.

"Sorry. Jareth told me about this place. I never thought to put actual faces to his story," she shrugged.

Lydia went back to her flowers. "That's all right. It's the funny thing about this place. You know everyone has a story to tell. Even if it's not their story, they have a story from their parents or grandparents. We may be a kingdom of vagabonds, but our loyalty runs deep," she explained. "We take nothing for granted."

Sarah took a moment to regard Lydia fully. Lydia looked as though she was no older than fifty years old, the laugh lines around her face and her grey streaked hair betrayed her otherwise youthful appearance. Silence stretch between them before Lydia spoke.

"And where did you come from? Born here I presume."

Sarah chuckled. "I guess I ran away too. Hm… I have more in common with this place than I thought."

"Oh! What's your story? Everyone has a story," she asked excitedly.

Sarah tensed; she grabbed at the brushes around her face, stopping their ministrations. Seeing Sarah's discomfort, Lydia said, "I'll tell you mine; I don't mind telling. It helps me remember since it was such a long time ago."

Sarah placed the brushes on the counter behind her. "Jareth said you came from England about three hundred years ago."

"And you keep calling him by his given name. Interesting. I'll get you to talk before the night is out," Lydia said. "His Majesty has a good memory, but sometimes it fails him. I didn't come from England. I came from the then newly settled town of Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony nearly four hundred years ago. Many other humans have come from that area since then, and they've told me all they know about that place. I haven't heard anything about that area in about hundred years. Sounds like things changed a lot."

Sarah thought to stop to tell her about how much that area, and America as a whole had changed, but she decided not to. She didn't feel like giving herself a headache.

"Wait a minute," Sarah interrupted, putting two and two together. Lydia ran away nearly four hundred years ago from a town in Massachusetts. "Ipswich is near Salem, isn't it?"

"You've heard of Salem?" Lydia said, genuinely surprised.

"Uh, yeah. It's like a thing," she said. "There's been books and plays written about the witch trials. Everyone knows about it." Sarah paused for a moment to consider everything. "It's been said that the women were framed; they weren't actually witches."

"Oh they weren't," she said emphatically. "The people just had to point a finger at the cause of failing crops or sickened livestock. It's unfortunate that those women had to bear the brunt of everyone else's ignorance."

"Are you… a witch?" Sarah asked.

"Of course, I thought that was apparent," she said, nodding to the brushes behind Sarah.

"My mind didn't jump to you being a witch; I didn't know how you could do magic," she said. "How did you not get caught when you were Above."

Lydia laughed. "A witch here is different than there. Those who described themselves as witches, we were nothing more than herbalist, concocting potion to sooth ailments. We were just more in tuned with the nature around us. In the Underground, I guess that connection we have to our surroundings Above allows us to have a little magic. Not much; I can only do little things. I'm definitely not more powerful that the creature born here."

"Did you immediately come here? Why didn't you go to the Seelie Court?" Sarah asked. "Humans are allowed there."

Lydia's back stiffened. "Humans are considered second class citizens there, and witches are to be imprisoned."

Sarah was shocked by what she heard. "What?" she nearly yelled.

"I can see that humans would be considered less than. However, I've heard Oberon has a particular distaste for witches. Apparently, he believes humans shouldn't be able to access magic. It's only for  _his_ kind," she spat.

"My governess is human; I wonder if she was treated that way," Sarah mused. "She never acted that way."

"Governess, hm? I've now deciphered that you're royalty of some kind," Lydia said.

Sarah could nearly slap herself for that slip up. At least, they were alone.

"You're not… no. You can't be the missing princess!" Lydia exclaimed.

"Shh! Don't be so loud," Sarah chastised. "Obviously, you've heard."

"Oh of course, we've all heard," Lydia said. "Your disappearance is causing a lot of problem between the two Courts."

"I know, I know. It's a mess," she lamented.

Lydia sighed. "I don't know everything, and you don't have to tell me. As much as no one likes the idea of the two courts going to war, people here would like to see the end of Oberon. Oh sorry," Lydia said as she realized she was talking about the death of Sarah's father.

"It's fine," she mumbled. "Not like I care too much for him now anyway. And please don't tell anyone else about me."

"There are two things to know about us living in the Goblin Kingdom: we love to gossip with one another but refuse to share it with others."

"Why is that?" Sarah asked. Lydia looked up as though the answer was in the ceiling, contemplating her answer.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because we know how important secrets can be. So we trust each other but are not very trusting of those who pass through. Don't worry; your secret's safe with me," Lydia said with a wink. Sarah let a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Thanks," Sarah said. Lydia stood up with the finished flower crown and placed it on Sarah's head.

"Oh you make a lovely May Queen!" Lydia exclaimed.

"I still think this was bad idea," Sarah said as brushed off the white floor length dress Lydia made her wear.

"I think the lady doth protest too much," she said with a sly smile.

"Oh shut up," Sarah mumbled as Lydia let out loud laugh.

* * *

_Oh god, this is a lot of people,_ Sarah thought while standing in front of the unlit bonfire.

The sun was setting, and the town square was packed with creatures of all kinds. According to Lydia, there were smaller squares nearby that held others as well. Those who were nearby circled the bonfire as she stood just a few steps in front of them. On the opposite side of the bonfire, she saw Jareth for the first time since being swept away by Lydia. He was wearing large antlers like a crown, jutting toward the sky. As odd as it was to see horns coming from his head, they oddly fit him; he looked striking. She noticed he was whispering to Avitus, who was holding a large unlit torch in his hands. She realized that Jareth probably made Avitus open the ceremony instead. He caught her eyes and gave her a devious smile.

_Oh, now he's enjoying himself,_ she thought ruefully.

As the crowds start to push against her, she really didn't want to do this anymore.

She saw Lydia in the corner of her eye. She caught Sarah in a big hug and said, "Oh thank you for doing this. You're going to have so much fun."

"You have no idea how much I want to quit right now," Sarah said as she held tight to the other woman.

"Oh, shut it! You'll do fine," she reassured. "Remember everything I told you?" Sarah nodded. "Good! I think we're about to get started." Then the woman moved into the inner circle of people that surrounded Sarah. All the people surrounding her had drums and few with tambourines.

"I think I remember everything she told me," Sarah said to herself, adjusting her flower crown as she looked across the pile of wood. Jareth was starting straight at her with an intense look in his eyes. If looks could kill, she wouldn't be dead; she would be back in Jareth's chambers and definitely naked.

"Yep," she said as she swallowed hard. "I need to learn to keep my mouth shut."

Avitus stepped forward into the circle; his voice was amplified. Sarah assumed through magical means of some sort; he wasn't one to raise his voice and definitely not that loud.

"Beltane is here!" Avitus exclaimed. "It is a time when the earth is fertile and full. Long ago, our ancestors planted their fields at Beltane. The fields that lay fallow for months are now warm and waiting. The soil that was dormant for the winter now begs us to plant our seeds. The earth is awakening and ripe, and this is a season of love and passion. It is a season of fire."

Avitus took the unlit torch that was in his hand and magically lit it. He stepped forward and lit the bonfire with the torch.

Avtius continued, "As our fires grow, lighting up the night sky, the fire within us grows stronger. It is the fire of lust and passion, knowing that like the earth, we too are fertile. Tonight, the God emerges from the forest. He is known by many names - he is Pan, Herne, Cernunnos, and the Green Man. He is the God of the Forest. Tonight is the night he will chase and capture the maiden. She is the Queen of the May, Aphrodite, Venus, Cerridwen. She is the Goddess of fields and flowers, she is Mother Earth herself."

Sarah tried to keep everything she was told straight. She felt herself zoning out, barely paying attention to the exact words being said. Jareth stepped forward, closer to the bonfire. She assumed he had been introduced as the God of the Forest. It wasn't until she felt a gentle nudge in her back that she took a step forward, missing her cue. She noticed nothing but Jareth staring back her, the light from the fire illuminating his harsh features.

Avitus shouting broke her out of her trance-like state. "Bring fertility to the land! Let the hunt begin!" Suddenly, those who had drums started beating them to slow, steady pace.

_Boom_

" _After the May Queen and the God of the Forest step forward, all of us with instruments will start playing, slowly at first." Sarah tried to remember what Lydia told her._

_Boom_

" _At this point the two of you will begin the chase. Don't forget: you need to circle the bonfire three times."_

_Boom_

Sarah moved two steps to her left, as Jareth took two the right.

_Boom_

" _Remember, go slowly, and then speed up as the tempo of the drums increase."_

_Boom_

Sarah began to weave in and out of the drummers, making sure to make it around the circle.

_Boom_

" _This is a fun chase, a joyful courtship; make sure you remember that. You can even allow him to get close to you."_

_Boom_

Sarah stopped walking and turned around to see Jareth tenaciously stalking behind her, weaving around the drummers, getting closer to her. The drum beat increased.

_Boom Boom Boom_

Adrenaline surged through her veins as the music became louder and more frantic. Jareth grew closer; she took off running, careful not to run into anyone playing the instruments. She almost screamed with excitement as she made her last trip around the circle. The trepidation she felt at the beginning was long gone and replaced by sheer elation. As she approached the spot where she first began she felt two arms reach around her and dragged her into the air, swinging her around.

"Ah! Put me down!" she laughed. Jareth put her down, and she turned to face him. The music came to an abrupt stop.

"You're not supposed to pick me," she panted, a little out of breath. He placed his forehead on hers.

"I've been known to do as I please," he purred.

"Nice antlers," she whispered as he touched the tip of them.

"I can wear these later if you'd like," he said.

"Stop it," she chuckled.

Avitus came into view again and said, "Fire and passion, love and life, brought together as one."

Sarah looked up at Jareth with pleading eyes. "Don't make me say this," she whispered.

Jareth formed a crystal and brought it to her throat; it dissolved immediately. "You wanted to be the May Queen," he said. "Now fulfill your duties. I even amplified your voice for you."

Sarah's lips thinned in annoyance, but she couldn't suppress the smile forming out of utter embarrassment.

She breathed deeply and said, "I am the earth, the womb of all creation. Within me, new life grows each year. Water is my blood, air my breath, and fire is my spirit. I give you honor and shall create new life with you."

Her face turned bright red, and wanted to hide in the ground forever. Jareth conversely looked down at her with passion and longing in his eyes.

"I am the rutting stag, the seed, the energy of life," he proclaimed. "I am the mighty oak that grows in the forest. I give you honor, and shall create new life with you."

His lips descended on hers. The kiss was fervent; she matched his intensity, and his tongue danced with hers. His gloved hands reached around her drawing her as close as possible. Jareth groaned as Sarah's fingers raked through his hair, careful not to dislodge his antlers. She felt his arousal brush up against her stomach.

At the realization of Jareth's bodily state, Sarah remembered one of the last things Lydia told her:  _"If you're feeling really lusty, you can fall to the ground and roll around for a bit_ _. Many couples have done that in the past. Don't worry; we'll cover you with a blanket."_

Sarah immediately pushed against him, ending the embrace. Jareth was breathing heavy and looked pissed. "You have terrible timing,  _Princess_ ," he sneered.

"I'm not rolling on the ground," she whispered indignantly. By the look on Jareth's face, he intended to do just that before she stopped him.

"You're acting much too proper for my kingdom," he counter.

The loud voice of Avitus broke their slight bickering. "The earth is once more growing new life within! We shall be blessed with abundance this year!"

The entire square erupted in claps and cheers, causing Sarah to clutch to Jareth, startled by the loud noise.

As the crowd dispersed, Sarah noticed Avitus approach them with two large mugs in hand.

"Absolutely marvelous, Your Majesty," he said as he handed the drink to Jareth. "And you too, Your Highness," he whispered, handing her the mug.

Jareth removed the antlers from his head and gave them to his advisor. "Here. Make sure these go back to the castle. I think Sarah likes them," he said as he gave her wink.

"You know what? I'm not even going to give you the satisfaction of reacting to that," she said, proud of herself.

Avitus shook his head at his king's remarks as he handled the antlers. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Your Highness, but ignoring His Majesty's remarks doesn't stop him. You might as well get used to it." With that last remark, Avitus walked away from the couple.

"He's right; I never stop," he purred in her ear.

"You're a mess," she laughed, gently pushing him away. She took a sip of her drink.

"Goblin Ale," Jareth said answering her unasked question. The ale was strong and good. Very good. She understood why Jareth kept talking about it.

"What happens now?" Sarah asked as she took another sip.

"Now, we eat, drink, and be merry," he said as he pulled her along. Sarah nearly spilt her drink.

"What memories do you have of Beltane while in the Seelie Court?" he asked as he marched her to fates knew where.

"Umm... being in my room, I think. Muiriol would always bring me cabbage soup from a vendor," she said. "It was the best food there, according to her." Jareth stopped his march and looked down at her with abhorrence.

"The biggest holiday among all the kingdoms, and all you did was sit in your room and eat soup?"

"To be fair, it was really good soup. Muiriol wasn't lying," Sarah said as she took another sip of her drink. "I think they roasted the cabbage first."

Jareth shook his head in disappointment. They walked until they reached a wooden stall that had a large line in front of it.

Jareth took them to the back of the stall and asked, "Have you ever heard of fertility bread?"

Sarah looked up at him with trepidation. "No," she said. "What is it?"

Jareth smiled and opened the door in the back of the stall and said something to the workers inside. Jareth walked out with something wrapped in paper with small oil stains spotted throughout. He handed it to Sarah and took her ale away.

Sarah looked down and noticed that the bread was in the shape of a…

"Penis! You gave me penis bread?" she exclaimed. Her hand quickly covered her mouth at her proclamation. Good thing that the sounds of the festival were so loud that her cries were drowned out and ignored by everyone around them. Jareth let out a loud laugh, also unnoticed by the crowd.

"Now, Sarah," he said in between laughs. "Don't be so vulgar. It's called a phallus."

"I'm not eating this," Sarah said as she handed the bread back to him.

"Don't let food go to waste; it's just fried bread," Jareth said, still chuckling. "You should at least try it."

_Having fun at my expense, huh?_ She thought.

Sarah looked Jareth straight in the eyes and pointedly ripped the bread in two and shoved a piece in her mouth, openly chewing.

"Ouch," he said, acting wounded. "You have so many ways to remind me never to upset you. I think that one wins."

Sarah finished eating and grabbed her ale back. "The sooner you realize that the better. Although that was good." She handed the rest of the bread to Jareth, but he rejected her offer by shaking his head.

"Are you mad, woman? I never eat that," he said with a smile.

"You know how lucky you are that you're king here, and we're in public right now?" she asked.

"Never thought I would say this, but we need to be in public more often," Jareth said as he escorted her through the square.

"Where are we going?" she shouted through the noise. "Trying to find other vendors that sell pastries of other body parts?"

Jareth let out a hearty laugh as they approached one of the corners of the square where many people were dancing.

He turned to face Sarah and brought her close to him. "I believe you owe me a dance."

"But the maypole…"

"Not until I get my dance," Jareth said.

Sarah looked at the musicians and said, "I don't know how to do the jig or whatever they are about to do." The music was playing fast and energetically, but there were no dancers dancing. Two small fires were burning on either side of the musicians, inside the circle formed by the spectators.

"We aren't going to join them," he said as he brought them closer to the dancers. "Just watch."

As they approached, Sarah heard the music, first the drums and then the fiddles. She saw two people holding small drum looking instruments and striking them with a small piece of wood.

Sarah motioned with her head to instrumentalists and asked, "What are they playing?"

"Those are bodhráns," Jareth said as he wrapped his arm around her. "Like much of our Beltane rituals, they were brought here by humans. They are a Celtic instrument, I believe."

"So, how much of Beltane is human tradition and how much is fae or elf or whatever?" Sarah asked. Jareth paused to think for a moment.

"Maybe well over half of what you see here is based on human tradition; some of it is tinkered," Jareth explained. "Humans have much more fun at their parties than faes."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just a fact. Maybe it's their short lifespans that cause them to have such a zeal for life," he said. "They certainly don't celebrate with cabbage soup." Sarah elbowed him in the side."

"Like I said," she said looking at the musicians. "It was good soup."

Jareth noticed his drink was running low as well as Sarah's. He waved his hand over her mug and then his.

"Did you just make ale?" Sarah asked.

Jareth let out a chuckle and said, "I steer clear of making food and drink, and so should you. It never turns out well. As long as I know where the ale is, we won't have any problems."

The music stopped. Sarah noticed people gathering around the musicians. There were eight of them, a mixed group of males and females, and they all looked human. They all dressed in black tattered coats and top hats. The women wore fishnets under their shorts and the men wore black trousers. They formed a cross with two people facing each other holding sticks in their hands. The group dropped to their knees in unison, sticks pounding the ground in a slow, steady rhythm. Then, slowly, the dancers rose. The music started up again, but started softly. The dancers stood still as the music played. Soon, the music accelerated and became louder. Then, the dancers began their jig, hitting their sticks against their partners'. They rotated and clashed their sticks again, all the while still dancing.

Sarah was taken aback.

"This is amazing," she exclaimed. "What is this?"

"It's called the Beltane Border Morris dance," Jareth explained. "I don't know how long ago the humans brought it here, but the dance is Celtic in origin."

"Is there a point to all of this? Or is this all just for fun?" Sarah asked, becoming more entranced with the dancing.

"The humans from long ago believed the drum beat and the dancers' steps weaved a pattern that was intended to keep the seasons turning and maintain the balance of the Aboveground and the Underground."

Sarah looked up at Jareth and said, "But that just superstition and they know it. Why do they keep doing it now?"

Jareth shrugged. "Tradition, I supposed. Also, it's fun to drink and watch people dance," he said with drinking his ale. The dancing and music came to an end, and the crowd applauded the dancers.

Sarah laughed and took a long swig. "I feel like I should keep up with you."

"I'd like to see you try," he said with a smile.

So far, although people were everywhere, they steered clear of His Majesty and his guest, until a small body hit Jareth in the back of his knees. His drink spilled, missing Sarah's dress by a hair's length.

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed as she jumped back.

"What the bloody hell?" Jareth sneered as he turned around.

A terrified voice came from among the crowd. "I…I so sorry Your Majesty!"

Sarah looked around Jareth to get a look at the horrified creature.

"Hoggle!" she shouted as she went to hug him.

"Of course it's you, Hogsmeade," Jareth said with disdained.

"M'lady! How are you fairing this fine Beltane?"

As Sarah stood, she noticed the gallant knight and his large orange brother. Festival or not, Sir Didymus was still dressed to the nines, sitting astride his faithful stead. Sarah couldn't believe she initially missed Ludo. Hoggle and the knight were both carrying mugs full of ale. Ludo had a half-eaten head of cabbage in his hand, and Ambrosias was examining the ground for any available crumbs.

"Sir Didymus, Ludo, how are you?" she asked while giving them hugs as well.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "This is supposed to be a party, not a reunion," he complained.

Sarah ignored his whining. "How long have you guys been here?" The memory of the opening ceremony suddenly came to her mind. She feared that her friends had watched everything happen. "Did you guys make it to the lighting of the bonfire?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Hoggle looked annoyed. "Pfft, no," he grumbled. "Sir Fancy Pants here changed his outfit about ten times. I threatened to leave without him if he didn't get a move on."

Sir Didymus nose went up in the air as he straightened his jacket. "A knight must always give a clean presentation, even when going to a party."

Sarah shook her head. Even though they finally made it there, those two were still visibly upset with each other.

"How are you doing Ludo?" she asked the large beast. He just nodded as he took a large bite of the cabbage.

"Eh, he just happy to have that thing to eat," Hoggle said.

"Are we done here?" Jareth asked tersely.

Sarah turned to him, giving him a warning look, and he gave her one back.

"Have you guys been to the Maypole yet?" she asked.

Hoggle shook his head. "Nah, we came in here the other way. Passed some fire breathers, though."

"We were about to head over to the pole. Come with us," Sarah offered.

"Sarah," Jareth warned, refilling his ale in order to deal with this foolishness. She moved into Jareth, ensuring the crowd noise and their closeness would block their conversation. Jareth's lips thinned.

"Stop being grumpy," Sarah said as she brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes. "You said you wanted me to have a good time."

"With me, not these hooligans."

Sarah couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh come on. I still owe you that dance," she offered. Jareth's mouth began to relax.

"The maypole is in the smaller square to the left," he said reluctantly. Jareth pointed to a street where throngs of people were seen going through, buying various items at the stalls that were visible. "That road over there leads directly to it."

"Here. Hold this for a minute," Sarah said as she handed her drink to him.

"Now I'm the butler?" he asked incredulously.

Sarah may have had too much Goblin Ale in here system, but she thought her next idea was pure brilliance.

"Sir Didymus, how about a race to see if I can outrun you and Ambrosias to the maypole?" she challenged.

"M'lady, I must say that no one can out run me and my faithful stead," he proclaimed proudly.

"On 'three', we set off toward the pole," she stated. Jareth just stood back, drinking his ale and holding hers. If she wanted to run through the square after a few ales, she could do that while he made sure that she didn't embarrass herself… too much.

Sarah's cry of "Three!" broke into Jareth's musings. Next thing he noticed was a small fox trying hard to stay on the white dog as his raven hair beauty with a crown of flowers on her head disappeared into the crowd.

As Jareth stood there, left with Hoggle and Ludo, he finished, again, his ale and refilled it. He noticed the dwarf's mug was low on liquid and refilled it as well. Hoggle seemed genuinely surprised at the gesture.

"Come on, you two. Those two clearly have had too much to drink," Jareth said, with a small smile, a smile that was immediately caught by Hoggle. The crowd, conveniently, made way for him as he walked, making it easier for the large beast behind him to follow along.

As Jareth arrived at the smaller square, he examined the area near the maypole, searching for Sarah.

Two arms encircled Jareth's waist, and a soft body pressed against his back.

He turned his head to the side and said, "I see you arrived in one piece."

"Yep!" she exclaimed. "That knight didn't have a chance. He went off somewhere. I think he went to get more ale." Jareth turned around, grabbed her face, and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"How dare you run from me," he whispered.

"I wasn't running; just a small jog," she clarified as she fanned herself with her hand. "It's really warm out here."

"That's what you get for running," Jareth said as he gave her mug back to her.

Sarah noticed Sir Didymus meeting up with Ludo and Hoggle as they went to get more ale or cabbage for Ludo.

She turned back to Jareth and said, "They already did the maypole dance." Sarah gestured to the tall pole wrapped in varying colors of ribbon. Not that Jareth was too upset; he wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having to do the maypole dance.

"Does this mean that I no longer get my dance?" Jareth asked. "I do believe we've never had a dance that wasn't interrupted." Sarah looked over to the many people still dancing with one another beside the maypole.

"Sure," she smiled back at him. "But what are we to do with our cups?" Jareth waved his hands, and the mugs disappeared.

"Hey!" Sarah protested.

Jareth laughed as he said, "I'm only briefly cutting you off. You can't properly dance with that in your hand." He grabbed her hand and escorted her through the parting crowd. Everyone stopped dancing as Jareth and Sarah made their way to the base of the maypole. He felt Sarah tense under the stillness of the crowd.

"Be calm, Sarah," Jareth reassured her. "They're just waiting for me to start dancing." He placed one of her hands on his shoulder and grasped the other in his own.

"How will they know what to play?" she asked. The musicians were standing off to the side.

"By the way I'm dancing," he said as he began to dance. The violins began to play a slow, soothing waltz.

"Wow. They're pretty good," Sarah said as they danced, others joining as well.

"My kingdom has the best musicians around," he beamed with pride.

"Your kingdom has the best of everything, doesn't it?" she ruefully asked.

"Of course."

As the night carried on, they danced and drank and danced some more. Jareth promised her an enjoyable night, and Sarah received that and more. Throughout the night, the conversation Jareth had with his brother came back to him. Sarah may not be happy that he didn't tell her the little piece of information that Lochlan did share. But she would soon understand that if this was to be the last time for them to be carefree, he would seize that moment.


	20. Chapter 20

_And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem_ _  
__But if I know you, I know what you'll do_

* * *

The day after Beltane is hard on most people of the Underground. Some have decided to awaken with a hardy meal while others choose to sleep the day away. Sarah tried her best to sleep but unfortunately she kept being awakened by the kisses and caresses by Jareth.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled as her hand came up to her eyes, attempting to hide from the light.

"Waking you up," he said, nipping her shoulder, his husky voice betrayed how groggy he was feeling.

"But we stayed up so late," Sarah complained, opening her eyes to gaze into the unusually sleepy eyes of the king. "And I think I have a hangover."

Jareth let out a small chuckle and said, "You need time to build up some tolerance to the Goblin Ale, I see."

"I just want to sleep forever," she grumbled, turning on her side.

"In this room? Never. We must leave this place as soon as possible," Jareth said as he moved off the bed.

Sarah sat up in the bed, and the sheet pooled around her waist. "Why must you go on about this? You'll be back in your boring grey room in no time." She smiled at him, knowing he could never resist her topless form. But Jareth ignored her state as he began to put his clothes on in a hurry.

Sarah's smile died and a look of concern formed in its stead.

"What's wrong? Why are you rushing?"

"Regardless of how you feel, we did sleep late. It's nearly noon," he said.

"You planned something important the day after Beltane?"

"This wasn't planned." Jareth turned to Sarah, regret in his eyes. "Lochlan is meeting us at the castle; he said he has several individuals who wish to speak to me. I'm sure it has something to do with the Seelie Court."

"When…"

"Yesterday. That's when he stopped by. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be upset. This was your first Beltane; it shouldn't have been ruined by something that could be delayed until today."

Sarah sat in the bed as she watched Jareth place his gloves on, finishing dressing. She was sort of disappointed that their morning wakeup call turned serious so quickly.

"Back to reality," she sighed. "I guess I should get dressed."

* * *

Jareth and Sarah appeared in the throne room. Both were shocked by the lack of goblins.

"I sent them away, the dirty buggers," Lochlan spoke from behind them. "Giving me a headache."

They turned around. "Out of my throne, Lochlan," Jareth spat.

"You just arrived and already look as though you want to throttle me," Lochlan said with a smile.

Jareth approached his brother and backed him into the wall. "Know your place, and I'll have no reason to assault you," he sneered.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Sarah said, "Okay. Okay. Everyone calm down. What's going on? Why are you here?"

"Listen to your little hell raiser, Jareth, and calm down," Lochlan whispered.

Jareth moved away from his brother and went to stand near Sarah. "Yes, Lochlan, why are you here?"

"Many reasons. First, I should just tell you that Oberon is going to declare war on me as well as you…"

"What!" Jareth and Sarah exclaimed. Lochlan seemed unperturbed by their outbreak.

"My sources…"

Jareth charged his brother and grabbed him by his shirt. "What bloody sources do you continue to speak of? Oberon wouldn't dare," Jareth growled.

"Jareth, let him go. Just let him explain," Sarah said, standing behind him. Jareth released his brother and breathed heavily as he slowly backed away.

"As I was saying," Lochlan said as he straightened his shirt. "My sources overheard Oberon planning with Aiden. One of them heard from an earlier meeting that part of this war is to lure you, sweet princess, back to the Seelie Court."

"What?" Sarah laughed in disbelief. "This can't be a ploy to get me back home. That's insane."

As Sarah and Lochlan argued, a rage that Jareth had never felt before overcame him.

He stormed out of the throne room through the main doors, leaving Sarah and Lochlan behind. Sarah was left dumbfounded. Lochlan sighed.

"I suggest you go run after him and calm him any way possible," Lochlan said as he started walking out of the side of the throne room.

"And where are you going?" She asked.

"Me? I'm heading to the dining hall. When you have finally subdued his insanity, you should bring him there."

Sarah threw her hand in the air. "Well, where is he going?"

"Judging by how agitated he is and his general direction: to his private armory. Probably to do something stupid." With that, he left Sarah alone in the throne room.

"As if I don't have enough to worry about, now I have to deal with these two," she muttered to herself as she left the throne room in search for the disgruntled king.

As Sarah made her way down the hallway, she realized that she didn't know where she was going. A terrified medium sized goblin came rushing toward her. She grabbed him by the shoulders, halting his movements.

"Hey you, did you see the king come by here?" she asked. The poor goblin's eyes were bugged out and looking everywhere but at her.

"Th-that way," he stuttered as he pointed to a door on the left side of the wall. "He went that way!" The goblin wrestled himself from Sarah's grasp and continued his panicked running. Sarah sighed as she realized that if that goblin was any indication, she was not going have an easy go when she encountered Jareth. When she approached the door, she inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself for what she would find. Sarah opened the door and took one step through the threshold when she was hit with a sensation she hasn't felt since she returned to the underground. The feeling wasn't one of weakness but a sense of overall unease, her body screamed to leave.

"Iron," she whispered to herself. Lit torches lined the stone walls, illuminating the stairs going down. As she made her descent, Sarah heard the loud clanging of metal and various rash, explicit words.

As she made it to the bottom of the stairs, Jareth's back was to her and she noted the fact he had changed clothes. He was no longer in his normal casual outfit of trouser and flowing shirt. Instead, Jareth was in full Goblin King regalia and sifting through a collection of swords on the opposite wall, occasionally lifting one up and before putting it back. The room was larger than normal, but she expected it to be since Lochlan called it the armory.

"Jareth," Sarah called out quietly. He stilled immediately.

"Go back upstairs, Sarah," he snapped. "This doesn't concern you." Sarah wondered if she had gone insane and misheard what he said.

"What do you mean this doesn't concern me?" She asked as she marched over to him, but his back was still facing her. "This has everything to do with me, with everyone. What the hell is wrong with you?" Jareth slowly turned around to face her. The scowl that marred his face didn't alarm her, but his black eyes did take her aback.

"Upset by what you see?" he asked, turning back to the swords.

"Not upset. Just surprised," she answered as she moved to his side. "Do your eyes do that every time you go off the handle?" Jareth didn't answer instead finding a sword that he apparently approved of. He shifted his cloak to the side and fastened the blade to his hip. Sarah grabbed him by the arm, but he pulled away.

"Jareth!"

"He must be stopped!"

"Who? Oberon? Yeah, we know that. You're not saying anything new. Why are you acting like this?"

Jareth said nothing.

"So what now? You're just going to stroll into the Seelie Palace and kill another king just like that?"

Still, he said nothing.

Jareth walked across the room toward the stairs when Sarah ran to cut him off, halting his steps. Jareth looked down at Sarah and said, "He's doing it again, and this time I won't let him get away with it."

"Get away with what?" she asked, pleading for any small piece of sanity he may have left to return to him.

"With taking everything I care about away from me!" he exclaimed as he moved around her. Something in Sarah snapped; she was just about tired of all of this.

"Hey!" she yelled as she got in front of Jareth and shoved him. Even with black eyes, the disbelief was clear on his face.

"Excuse me, but at what point was I just labeled some sort of pawn to be played by anyone who has control of me? At what point during your brother's talk did I say I was going to go back? Do you just view me as some sort of mindless robot that goes when she's called? Do you think I'm that stupid? I know better than to think that if I go back everything will be fine," Sarah said with tears forming in her eyes, threatening to fall. "Screw you, Jareth. I'm smart enough to know not to play into his stupid games. You don't have to go on a suicide mission thinking that's the only way I'll refuse to go back. I don't take orders from Oberon any more. And just so we have things straight, I don't take orders from you either."

Jareth dropped his head and looked to the side as Sarah's tears began to fall.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I do love you, but you're an idiot."

Jareth looked up, intensity blazed his dark eyes. He rushed over to her and seized her face searching her watery eyes. "Do you mean that, what you said?"

"Yes!" she answered in earnest. "I keep calling you an idiot and you don't listen to me." Jareth chuckled as he touched his forehead to hers.

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "Do you truly love me?"

"Yeah, yeah I do," she said, quietly. "I didn't plan to tell you this way."

"And what did you have in mind, hm?"Jareth whispered.

"I don't know, but it didn't involve being stuck in this dungeon, yelling at you," Sarah stated. "You know, you're supposed to say it back. Otherwise, I'll feel stupid."

"Oh, my precious Sarah," he said as he caressed her cheek. "Never doubt that I have loved you these past years. It's maddening how much I love you."

Sarah reached up with both hands and grabbed his face. "Why are you doing this, Jareth? You can't possibly think that I would leave." Jareth lowered his eyes, refusing to look at her.

Sarah pulled her hands away quickly. "Seriously?" she exclaimed.

"You left before."

"That doesn't count!" He shot her look. "Well, it doesn't. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't leave you on purpose." Sarah thought about what she said for a brief moment.

"This has to do with your mother and brother leaving, doesn't it? You believe your brother abandoned you, and your mother left too early?" Sarah asked.

Jareth moved away from her, unfastening the sword from his side, and placing it back on the wall.

With his back turned to her, he said, "You have no idea what it's like to see everyone you ever cared about willingly leave you."

"Oh, Jareth," she sighed as she came behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, gently pressing against his back. "Your family did not mean to hurt you. Your mother thought you were fine on your own, and your brother… he wanted to find his own path in life. You have to understand that." When he didn't answer or even turn around, Sarah knew she hadn't made any inroads; he was still being stubborn.

"Well," she sighed. "Regardless of what you think, know this: I love you, and I'm not leaving you. Not now. Not after everything that we've been through."

Jareth turned around and his lips descended onto hers as his gloved hands seized her face, drawing her closer.

There were no words. One moment Jareth's hands were gently cupping her face and the next they tore the front of Sarah's dress from her body, leaving her half naked and very much vulnerable to Jareth's whims as he unfastened his belt, lowering his trousers. She wrapped her arms around his neck when he cupped her hips and lifted her legs were situated snugly around his waist. A smooth thrust joined them as he carried her to the nearest wall. His hand came down and circled her clit, his index finger and thumb heightening her ecstasy.

"You like that?" he asked. His expression was one of passion as his thrusts continued, and his voice was distorted and thick.

"Yes," she moaned and noticed the muscles rope and cord in his neck as he supported her weight, adjusting her so that he went deeper and deeper.

With a firm jerk across his chest, Sarah released him of his armor and she lapped at the visible skin along his torso before pulling at his shirt to reveal more pale flesh. She teased the surface of his skin with tiny nips of her teeth. The impulse to bite and mark him as her own was too powerful to ignore. She chose the soft spot that connected his neck to his shoulder. Jareth released a hoarse, elated cry as she bit down.

Sarah rotated her hips, pressing against him until he was positioned so deeply inside that he felt as if he was a part of her.

"Fuck, yes." Jareth continued thrusting as he mirrored her and claimed the side of her neck as well. His teeth sank deep, and she felt her body peaking as her nails imbedded into Jareth's back.

They both came in a frantic climax that left them both limp, but Jareth refused to release her. His forehead came down on hers, causing their panting breaths to mingle. Sarah gave him a languid kiss while wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You ruined my dress," she said with a sly smile.

"You ruined my clothes," he responded as he nipped her lip.

"You needed a new look anyway," Sarah whispered as Jareth let out a small chuckle.

* * *

Lochlan sat in the dining hall, occasionally shaking his head in frustration at his brother's erratic behavior.

"Such juvenile actions at times," he mumbled to himself. At that moment, the double doors opened, revealing Sarah and Jareth.

"How nice that the two of you finally decided to join me," Lochlan said. As they walked closer to his end of the table, he said, "Felt the need to change clothes, Princess? And you too, brother?" A small blush rose in Sarah's cheeks in response to his comments.

"What she is wearing has nothing to do with," Jareth said as he pulled out Sarah's chair.

_Of course they are still going to fight_ , Sarah thought as she sat down.

"What's this you're saying about Oberon, and what was of such importance that you had to bring your friends here to me?" Jareth asked as he dropped in his chair at the head of the table.

"Using the word 'friend' is a stretch." Lochlan moved his head to the side and paused for a moment as he assessed Jareth. "There's something different about you."

"I'm exhausted from Beltane. Enough of my physical appearance. What's this news you have," Jareth said.

"Do you promise not to go insane this time?" he asked. Jareth responded with a curt nod.

"The last we heard the Elven Kingdom was preparing arms against Oberon," Jareth stated. "How did they turn this on us?" Lochlan let out a mirthless laugh.

"There was never going to be a war between those two?"

"What?" Sarah asked.

Lochlan slouched in his chair. "It was all a lie, a hoax. And it worked."

"What are you talking about, Lochlan?" Jareth said, worrying his head with his hands. "Where are you getting this madness from?"

"Ah! That would require my two _friends_ ," he said. Lochlan looked to the side door that leads to the kitchens. "You two trouble makers can come in now," he called out.

Sarah turned around to see a smallish elf shuffling into the room. He was wearing robes appropriate for a seer, but his was muddied and tattered. And he definitely needed a shower. The fact that his hands were bound in metal cuffs didn't go unnoticed by her. Behind him was someone Sarah never thought she'd see again.

"Muiriol!" Sarah yelled as she ran from her seat. Muiriol smiled and reached out her arms in preparation for Sarah's embrace.

"Oomph!"Muiriol said as Sarah nearly knocked her over. "I'm so happy to see you too. And you look well!"

"I am doing well! I think. What are you doing here?" Sarah asked, refusing to release her former governess.

"Sarah, let her go," Jareth said. "You're going to suffocate her if you don't."

"I'm sorry. Come sit by me, okay?" she said enthusiastically as she dragged Muiriol to the table. The elf was already sitting next to Lochlan, his hand underneath the table.

A fresh migraine was forming in Jareth's head. "What is the meaning of all this? Where did you come from," Jareth asked Muiriol.

"Remember how I always claim to have sources inside the palace?" Lochlan said.

Sarah turned to her governess. "You're a spy? How long has this been going on?"

Muiriol shrugged. "Since the beginning, really. Oh, my dear, please don't act betrayed," she said as she reached for Sarah's hand."I took my duties toward caring for ya very seriously."

"Why would you work for him?" Jareth asked.

"Hey!" Lochlan interjected. "Working for me has its benefits."

"Well, being a witch in the Seelie Court has its difficulties. I was already hidin' part of who I was. I thought, I might as well help him bring in his fight against Oberon."

Sarah placed her head in hands as Muiriol patter her on the back.

"Please don't be upset, Princess Sarah," Muiriol pleaded.

"No. No. I'm not upset. Just processing things."

"And why is that elf shackled?" Jareth asked pointing to the chained elf.

Lochlan lightly thumped the elf in the shoulder. "Talk," he instructed.

"Your Majesty," the elf whispered as he gave a small bow.

"Talk louder. I can barely hear you," Jareth demanded.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he said louder. "My name is Donnan. I am-was- a seer for the Seelie Court. I ran away nearly three days ago…"

"Four," Lochlan corrected.

"Um, four days ago. I've never been outside the Seelie Palace or even Annwn." Annwn is the city that surrounds the Seelie Palace. "I must have gotten myself turned around. I wound up in the Unseelie forest. A draugr nearly had my head… and the rest of me," he sighed in exhaustion.

"Turned around?" Sarah asked. "Where were you planning to go?"

"I know about this kingdom and why people come here. I was told a long time ago that distant cousins of mine escaped here for refuge during the Great War. I was just hoping to do the same," Donnan explained.

"Judging by your now tattered robes, you are a high ranking seer, just below the ranking of High Seer. Why does a prominent seer have need of asylum?" Jareth asked.

"I couldn't be a part of what Oberon was doing anymore. After Oberon isolated High Seer Finnean, I couldn't stay any longer," he said.

"Oh, enough of this maudlin nonsense!" Lochlan exclaimed, banging his fist on the table, causing Donnan, Sarah, and Muiriol to jump in their seats. "Tell them what's important, not your sad life story."

"Yes, of course. Oberon plans to launch a war against your two kingdoms but not because he wants the princess back."

Sarah let out a small mirthless laugh and ran her hands through her hair. "Is he just bored in that palace of his?"

"No. That's not it at all. Oberon, many years ago, tasked his seers with finding a way to achieve ultimate power- a way for him to not be bound by the constraints that normal fae magic has. And we did. That was the real reason for the Great War," Donnan said.

"So he failed years ago, and that's why he's trying again?" Jareth asked.

Donnan looked at Jareth with obvious confusion. "We didn't fail. We told him the limitation that this magic could create if we were able to crack the code; and he decided to go ahead with the project." Donnan looked down before taking a deep breath. "That's why you were created, Princess. The only reason," he whispered.

"What?" Jareth and Sarah yelled at the same time.

Donnan jumped back in his seat at their reaction and began lightly struggling with his restraints as his nerves overcame him.

"What do you mean 'that's why you were created'?" she asked incredulously. "I'm not a robot… am I? Oh my god! Am I a robot?"

"Sarah, calm down. You're talking nonsense," Jareth said.

"What's a robot?" Donnan asked.

"Forget what she just said," Jareth snapped. "What did you do to her? Why is her magic erratic?"

"Is it erratic? I was hoping what happened with the various kings and Queen was just an accident," Donnan said.

"My magic is the most powerful whenever time I'm upset," Sarah explained. "I've been able to stop it from lashing out… sort of."

Doonan inhaled deeply, trying to decide what to say next.

"The Great War had its purpose," he stated. "But not that of any normal war. Oberon didn't want land; he wanted all the magic. You see, any time a magical creature dies, his magic is released back to the Underground, like ether. Seers for ages have argued about whether this released magic could be harnessed before it dissipates. And Finnean did, but in order for to harness magic, it must first be released. And we magical beings don't just give up our magic."

Sarah's hand covered her mouth in shock of what she was hearing while Jareth just stared down at the table, absorbing all he heard.

"Your father was the first test subject," Donnan whispered.

"What?" Jareth sneered, as he glared at the elf.

"This story gets better, Jareth," Lochlan said. "Don't strangle him yet."

"Oberon wanted to make sure that what Finnean said was true, and your father was a perfect target: married to an Unseelie and a high ranking official. Oberon had his set up for war all planned out. But I wasn't involved in the killing of your father! I swear," he yelled looking between Lochlan and Jareth. "I didn't know until troops were already marching on Unseelie lands! You have to believe me."

Lochlan sat silent, ignoring the elf by staring at the dining room's main doors while Jareth ran his hands over his face.

"So how did this work? Why did he need a war?" Sarah asked, thinking it was better if she asked the questions than either brother.

"I don't know how Finnean did it, just saw the final product," he signed. "The orb looks like a magical crystal but larger. And it's very, um, viscous- very unstable. King Aiden carried it with him into battle in a fur-lined pouch. The orb acts like a lure, attracting recently freed magic to it."

"And by 'recently freed magic', you mean the magic of those who died in battle?" Sarah said, disgusted. "Did it just attract Seelie magic?"

"No. Seelie, Unseelie, it didn't matter," he said, shaking his head.

"And that magic that was harnessed- that's what's inside Sarah, correct?" Jareth asked, finally speaking up. He still didn't look up, content with looking at the table.

"Oberon tried to take the magic for himself, but the magic reject him and Aiden and Titania. We surmised that the existing magic blocked the addition of anymore magic. Or maybe the orb of magic didn't mix well with the existing magic. Maybe it was too erratic- a mixture of Seelie and Unseelie magic could be complicated. Regardless, the magic wouldn't take. We seers pleaded with Oberon to cease his attempts, but he's tenacious, I presume."

"Fae babies have no magic during the first year of their lives," Jareth said as he leaned back in his chair, eyeing at the ceiling. "Let me guess: that magic is in Sarah."

"Oh shit," Sarah groaned as she sunk in her chair.

"It was Oberon's last plan. As soon as you were born, you were given the orb's magic. And it worked; I couldn't believe it."

"Why give it to me? Did they just assume I would go along with their crazy plan?" Sarah asked, clearly distraught.

"Oberon thought once the magic 'normalized' inside you, that he could take it from you and use it for himself. You were never taught how to use your magic. It would be easy to steal under any normal circumstances, and he could use the magic for himself. It wouldn't be a part of him, but he could still use it. But the magic taken from you wouldn't cooperate. There was still residual magic in you when were sent Above. I theorized that the magic left behind sensed that. I don't know. Everything became a mess," he said as he dropped his head into his chained hands.

"I wasn't supposed to come back, was I?" Sarah asked, but she knew the answer. "If everything went their way, they were just going to leave me there to die?"

Donnan said nothing as Sarah stood up and began pacing the room.

"Sarah, please sit down; don't allow Oberon's actions to distress you," Jareth said.

"Don't patronize her, Jareth. If there is a time for her to be troubled, it would be now, Lochlan said.

"Silence, Lochlan," Jareth spat. "Don't you dare step foot into my castle and order me what to do."

"I'm not ordering," Lochlan sneered. "But if there is a time when someone should be allowed a pity party, it would be now.

Meanwhile, Sarah ignored their bickering and continued her fruitless walk with her hands held against the side of her head.

"Princess Sarah, are you okay?" Muiriol gently asked.

"Is there a reason why you just had to expose this information like this?" Jareth said, raising his voice, glaring daggers at his brother. "Must your flare for the dramatic include the dissemination of horrific news?"

"I'm not making this about me; that's your doing!" Lochlan shouted back. "Why does it matter how the tale is told as long as you know?"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Sarah screamed. Sarah marched over to the table and forcefully pounded her hands on the table and stared down the two brothers, who were visibly shocked by her outburst. "You two have to be the most stupid kings to _ever_ rule."

Lochlan was about to open his mouth in protest when Sarah pointed at him and said, "No! You don't get to talk! We just found out a massive conspiracy that involves all three of us plus the planning of another war, and you two are going to sit there and bitch and moan about whose silly castle it is and who can talk about whatever?"

Sarah brought her hands to cover her face, hiding the tears that were forming. Jareth reached out to grab her arm when she moved away quickly, showing that her face was red and slightly puffy.

"Sarah…" Jareth sighed.

"No," she said shaking her head. "The both of you have spent basically your entire lives hating each other. Over what? Oh, you left to fight a war when we were younger and never came back? Oh yeah, well you're too surly and need to lighten up," she said, mocking them and their accents. "You two need to grow up! You're all each other have in this world, and you pissed it away. Neither of you know how fortunate you are to have each other. Some of us have nothing."

Sarah walked toward the main doors but turned around before leaving, surveying the stunned room.

"What is everyone always saying here, Jareth? Don't take anything for granted?" she asked before storming out.


	21. Chapter 21

_Great clouds roll over the hills  
Bringing darkness from above_

* * *

Jareth let some time pass before he followed after Sarah. He believed it was the best for her and him. Jareth wasn't too keen on facing her wrath. As he approached her chambers, Jareth lifted his hand to knock when he heard Sarah call out to him.

"Come in," she said.

Jareth opened the door and hesitated at the entrance. Sarah sat on the couch, idly looking out the open balcony doors with her chin wresting on her fist.

"Don't just stand there," she said, never taking her eyes away from the scenery. "It is your castle. Feel free to go wherever you want."

Jareth slowly walked through the room, stopping behind the couch, resting his hands on the backboard.

"Sarah…"

"I shouldn't have said the things I said," Sarah interrupted, a frown marred her features. "But you two were acting insane, and someone had to say something."

Jareth slowly made his way around the couch to stand in front of Sarah. He knelt and gently massaged her knees as he mulled over his words carefully.

"You were right about my brother and me," he mumbled. "We've allowed hatred and spite between us to grow like a disease." Jareth lowered his head while Sarah's hand combed through his tresses. "I'm so sorry, Precious," he said, head still bowed. "Mother would be ashamed to see her sons acting this way." Sarah caressed his cheeks before patting the cushion next to her.

"Sit, Jareth," she said as he sat next to her.

"They say that one of the curses in being near immortal is that you go numb to everything around you, causing yourself to harden over time," he said with his hand worrying his chin. "It was so much easier over time to hate Lochlan than to move on."

Sarah grabbed his gloved hand and held it in hers.

"So, everything is better between you two now?" Sarah said, hopeful.

"No," Jareth said quickly. "However, we decided to try to be better brothers to one another. Neither of us is pretending that two millennia worth of bitterness between us is going to evaporate overnight. But we will try."

Sarah gave him a small smile. "I guess that's the best I can expect for in this situation."

"Lochlan will never admit this, but he mostly agreed to this because he was afraid of your wrath," Jareth whispered conspiratorially.

"I scared him?" she laughed.

"Shitless," Jareth answered. "He didn't speak for several minutes once you left. I believe that was a new record." Jareth opened his arm to her as Sarah moved into his embrace, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm certain he will endeavor to be on your good side for now on."

"I guess I should be proud of that?" Sarah asked.

"You know by now he doesn't care what other's think of him," he said as he caressed her shoulder. Silence stretched between them for a while. Jareth then gave Sarah a lengthy kiss on her forehead. She turned her head to look at him.

"What was that for?" she asked as he rested his chin on her head.

"I love you," he mumbled, staring ahead into the cold fireplace.

"Do you think that I forgot already?" Sarah asked.

"I need to make up for lost time," Jareth explained. "I'll tell you as many times as I see fit."

"So what happens now? I mean with what that seer said. I sort of ruined the conversation," she said.

"I'm supposed to bring you back to my study. Everyone is waiting for us there," he stated.

"Then why aren't we leaving?"

"Because it nice to just hold you before everything goes mad," Jareth said.

"You're getting soft, Goblin King," Sarah teased.

"Mention this to anyone, and I'll have your ass," he sneered as he nipped her ear.

* * *

Lochlan and Donnan fell silent as Jareth and Sarah entered the study. While Jareth made his way through the doors, he grabbed Sarah's hand and led her to his desk. As he sat down in his chair, he dragged Sarah by the waist to sit in his lap. Sarah attempted to unhook his arm for her waist.

"I'm not sitting in your lap like some wench," Sarah protested.

"But you're my wench," he crooned into the crook of her neck. Sarah finally wrestled her way out of his grasp.

"I'm not your wench," she said as she grabbed a chair by the fire place and dragged it over to his desk. "We've already had this conversation."

"Of course not, Precious. You're my harridan," Jareth claimed as he brought her chair over next to his.

Sarah narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I don't know what that means," she said as she sat in the chair. "But I'll find out, and I'm going to make sure you apologize."

Jareth lightly caressed her shoulders. "Is that a promise?" he said in low tones.

Lochlan released an annoyed groaned. "If you two are going to be nauseating, please do it on your own time."

"Where's Muiriol?" Sarah asked while scanning the room for her governess, ignoring Lochlan's statements. Lochlan and Donnan were sitting in chairs across from Jareth's desk.

"Seems she's had an eventful week," said Avitus as he walked into the study, locking the door behind him. "I just showed her to her room in the guest wing."

"Is there a reason why he's still shackled, with iron no less?" Jareth asked, pointing to the seer.

"And why should he be trusted?" Lochlan said, skeptically. "He came from the Seelie Court."

Jareth flicked his hand toward his brother, discounting his concerns. "Do you know how many in my kingdom come from the Seelie lands? Do you really think I restrain all of them?"

"He can't be fully trusted yet," Lochlan countered.

"He came to my kingdom for refuge and asylum," Jareth stated. "He's now under my law."

"These are not normal times, and he's not a normal refugee," Lochlan spat. Jareth bowed his head and rubbed his temples, attempting to calm himself and refrain from returning to his former habits of wanting to throttle his brother.

Sarah looked back and forth between the two brothers, warily optimistic that another row wouldn't develop between them.

"Fine. Keep him chained," Jareth said, shrugging his shoulders in apparent indifference. "Avitus, bring us some tea, please. And food of some sort."

The advisor rose from the sofa across the room to fulfill the king's orders. Jareth opened the desk drawer closest to Sarah and attempted to pull out some loose leaf paper when she noticed his opened drawing pad.

"What's this?" Sarah asked as she started to reach inside his desk. Jareth grabbed some paper and quickly shut the drawer before she could get a hold of anything.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she reared her hand back.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Sarah," he said with a smirk.

"Whatever," Sarah muttered while slouching in her chair.

"So, do we have a plan in mind?" Lochlan asked.

"Quickly tell me what Oberon thinks we know," Jareth told Donnan. The elf, who so far was trying his best to not be noticed, lest he be involved in any more of their quarrels, thought carefully over Jareth's demand.

"Let's see: Aiden threatening a war against Oberon. I believe that is it," Donnan said. "Oberon plans to announce that King Lochlan took Princess Sarah in a few days, and a war against the Unseelie Kingdom in the coming weeks. But I didn't hear this. Muiriol did."

"With just Fae and Elven armies?" Jareth asked. "Lochlan's army would surely slaughter them."

"The entire Seelie Court," Donnan explained. "Fae, Elves, Trolls, Dwarves, Centaurs, and Pixies…"

"Hate bloody pixies," Lochlan muttered.

"Pixies? Why? Aren't they small?" Sarah asked. "How do they fight in a war?"

"By buzzing around your head, driving you mad, while you're trying to slay your foe," Lochlan sneered, clearly remembering the last time he encountered them. "Biting your ears and nose. Bastards."

Sarah covered her mouth, suppressing her laughter, slightly dismayed by her reaction to the macabre description.

"Several of those kingdoms will not go to war willingly," Jareth said as he began writing on the piece of paper.

Lochlan crossed his arms over his chest. "The Giant Kingdom may be hesitant, but they'll of course go along with it. I'm sure the Centaurs and the Pixies will be strong armed into it, but that's the great thing about being in a coalition: they must follow the leader. I'm sure the notion that I've taken Sarah will help in their decision making."

"King Taggart is ruler of the Centaurs and Queen Kalin is ruler of the Pixies, right?" Sarah inquired.

"Very good, Princess," Lochlan mocked. "Would you like a cookie as a reward?"

Sarah snatched a blank piece of paper that Jareth wasn't writing on, crumpled it up, and threw it at Lochlan's head.

"Idiot," she said.

"You two were made for each other," Lochlan quipped with a smile as he brushed the offending object off his chest.

"Wait a minute? Why is Oberon saying Lochlan has me? Why not just tell everyone the truth that I'm here?" Sarah queried.

"It would be harder to rally his subjects against me," Jareth said, still scribbling something out.

"Why is that? Are you just super popular all of a sudden?"

Jareth briefly stopped writing and gave her a deadpanned expression. "No," he said as he went back to writing. "Go against me, and he'll have a civil war on his hand. No one wants to fight their cousin."

"And Oberon thinks you won't do anything?" she asked Jareth.

"I haven't before," Jareth said, still writing.

"Oberon believed that the threat of war would bring you out of hiding," Donnan explained. "Once you are back in the Palace, he would still lead everyone to believe that you were gone, and the war would continue as planned."

"Whoa! Why would the war continue if I go back? I returned. Everything would go back to normal, right?" Sarah asked with false hope.

"He's going to kill you," Jareth said in a matter of fact tone, still writing. "You hold no use for him now that he is starting another war."

Sarah dropped her head in defeat. "Of course," she mumbled. "I shouldn't even be surprised now." Suddenly, Avitus walked in, carrying a large tray of food and drinks.

"Oh thank goodness," Sarah said as she stood up to help him. She could really use a break from the tension.

Avitus shooed Sarah away from her attempts to help him as he handed everyone a beverage. Sarah took her tea and sat on the sofa, away from the hectic planning the two brothers were engaged in. She wanted to be involved, and she would be. But now she needed to not think about someone wanting to kill her.

As Avitus sat next to her on the sofa, he handed her a small plate with a sandwich.

"Thanks. I just realized I haven't eaten yet today," she said.

"Ah yes, I can see how that can make you feel more anxious about the situation at hand," he said as he sat next to her.

"Are you used to all this?" Sarah asked as she took a bite of her food.

"Dealing with intricate plots or His Majesty's temper?" Avitus said with a sly smile.

"I assume you're used to his irritable manner. I meant the crazy schemes," she said, sipping her tea.

"Well," he said while carefully stroking his chin. "If you live long enough, you'll always be involved in foolish schemes. Although this is surely one of the most intricate conspiracies I've ever been a part of."

"Only one of most intricate? What else have you been a part of? Sounds like you have an interesting life."

Avitus gave her a glib smiled. "I'm not one for excitement, but I believe these things just happen."

"What happened?" Sarah asked. Avitus had inadvertently raised her interest. "Where did you come from anyway?"

He shook his head wearingly. "You've had enough to worry about these past days."

Sarah turned her body to face him and said, "Forget about that. I know nothing about you except what Jareth complains about. All I know is you're an uptight fae who cares too much about paper weight."

Avitus rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. "The weight of the paper is important," he said in earnest. "Someone of royalty shouldn't just write on any piece of parchment. These things are important."

"No, they're not," Jareth retorted. Sarah and Avitus turned to see Jareth and Lochlan talking to each other. Avitus adjusted his coat and gently brushed invisible crumbs off his mauve-grey hair that hung over his shoulders, trying to hide his annoyance.

"His hearing is impeccable… and annoying," he whispered.

"Tell her more about how impeccable I am, less about the other things," Jareth called out. Sarah shook her head slowly while chuckling.

"Just ignore him," she said.

"Ah! I see you learn quickly," Avitus said. "That's the only way to stay sane around here." Sarah let out a full laugh, causing Avitus to join in.

"So, what's your story?" Sarah asked, stilling her laughter.

The laughter that was just on his face disappeared in an instant.

"Oh. Judging by your expression, I'm guessing you weren't born here."

"No," he exhaled. "I grew up in Caer Sidi, a town near Annwyn. I spent my first few centuries there, working as an apprentice to the renowned tailor in the area. He sold to all the noble faes in town."

"That explains why you are always dressed so well," Sarah said with a small smile, drinking her tea.

"It's always important for one to look his best. Anyhow, after years under his tutelage, I decided to open my own shop in Annwyn. I thought it would be easy to make a living there, since a higher percentage of nobles lived there than in Caer Sidi; and, I did. I had a great life there, for a time."

"What happened? Why'd you leave?"

"Because of Nyla. Her name was Nyla," he said wistfully. "A human from Ireland- escaped through the veil during an invasion of some sort. She worked as a governess in a noble fae's home. I met her when she arrived in my shop to pick up some clothes I made for the household. Soon, we married, and she quit her job to work with me. Nyla was a witch, but she kept it hidden from everyone, everyone but me."

"Lydia told me about that. Oberon hates witches apparently and even humans. Why would she even be there? Why are any humans there?" Something finally hit her. "Wait a minute. Why does Jareth send humans over there if they're treated poorly?" Sarah whispered.

"Oh, Oberon is a complicated individual, to say the least," Avitus said as he leaned back to lightly recline on the cushions. "He has his quirks, but he tries to use everything to his advantage. Among the humans in the Court, there are two classes: noble and common. The babes are only given to the aristocratic members of the Seelie Court. That way, Oberon always has leverage, something to hold over potential noble parent. He doesn't think too highly on those who just migrate there. Eventually, those humans usually find their way here."

"Did you and Nyla finally get tired of that stupid, bifurcated system there and move here?" Sara wondered.

"No. No," he answered softly as he shook his head. "She didn't want to leave, and I never really gave it much thought."

"She didn't make it here, did she?" Sarah wondered out loud.

Avitus quickly ran his hands over his face, gathering her bearings. "She was poisoned; I don't know how, but she was. Nyla only came to work in the store after the morning hours. When she didn't show, I closed up early to check in on her. I found her on our kitchen, lying face down, choked on her own vomit."

"Avitus. I'm so sorry," Sarah said, giving him a hug, whether he wanted one or not. "I didn't mean to cause you so much heartache. I shouldn't have asked so many questions."

"Oh, my dear Sarah," he said, pulling back from the embrace. "It is important to reminisce on the past, even the atrocious parts."

"Why?"

"Keeps you humble," he replied with a small shrug. "We near-immortals tend to look down on humans, but humans have their humanity and that mortality allows for greater meekness than most faes will ever allow themselves to feel."

Sarah leaned against the sofa but held fast to his hand with hers, refusing to let go.

"So, did you come here after she passed?"

Avitus exhaled. "I knew someone had informed Palace officials that she was a witch. I didn't know how they knew or who told them, but I had to leave. I couldn't stay there anymore. And, consequently, I came here."

"How did you get this wonderful job of not being listened to by Jareth?"

Avitus let out an unexpected snort. "I first moved to Oasis Steppes, opened another tailor store, and lived there for about two hundred years. I was lucky enough to find success again as a tailor. His Majesty stopped by the shop one day, I don't know why, but I didn't care since he nearly bought my entire stop," he laughed. "His Majesty was still in his first millennium of rule, and apparently, he was so impressed with my decorum, that he hired me as his official tailor. Somehow that transitioned into an advising role. It's not as though there was a long line of potential applicants."

"I heard that," Jareth snapped.

Sarah turned toward Jareth and said, "Then stop listening."

"Come here, and stop telling stories," he ordered. Sarah rolled her eyes and gave Avitus's hand a quick shake before finally releasing it.

"Thank you for telling me your story," Sarah said as she stood from the sofa.

"You're most welcome," he responded with a small smile, still staying seated.

Sarah sat down in the chair she previously left and noticed the seer looked exhausted, but Lochlan appeared oddly satisfied.

"What is that?" she asked pointing to the lengthy letter on Jareth's desk.

"A letter to be distributed to my governors, instructing them to ready the troops stationed in their region," Jareth answered as he sealed the paper with wax.

"This is the plan?" she asked apprehensively. "You're going to attack the Palace."

"No." Lochlan answered. "They're coming here. Nice smooth valleys here- perfect place to have a battle."

Jareth's mouth thinned as he gave his brother a dark look. "Only you would be able to find joy in conflict," he sneered. Lochlan merely shrugged since what his brother said was true.

"How can you make them come here? And why?" Sarah asked, looking back and forth between the two. "I thought you said your people would never fight."

"I didn't said they would never," Jareth said, leaning back in his chair, briefly closing his eyes in contemplation.

"I believe you are underestimating the hatred everyone has toward Oberon, even in his own kingdom. Jareth's subjects will be surprised, but I highly doubt there will be any low morale."

"But why here? Why do you want to bring him here? You'll be putting your castle and kingdom in danger."

"I'm not thrilled with that prospect, but I'm doing it for purely strategic reasons," Jareth explained. His statement was met with a confused stare by Sarah.

"Avitus, escort our guest here to the throne room; I'll be in shortly," Jareth ordered.

"Yes, Sire," Avitus responded as he helped the seer up and walked him to the door.

Once the two men were gone, Jareth spoke. "We came to the conclusion that no matter what we do or say, Oberon is going through with this war. Therefore, since it is inevitable, we might as well make the process as difficult as possible."

"Because no one wants a civil war, right?" Sarah postulated.

"Correct," Lochlan said. "And you, my dear, are finally going to have your coming out party. Those letters to the Goblin Kingdom and the Seelie Court will tell everyone where you really are."

Panic surged through Sarah as she seized the letter on Jareth's desk.

"No! Why?" She yelled, trying in vain to read even though her mind was in pure fright. Jareth grabbed her wrists in an attempt to calm her terror.

"I wouldn't do this if I believed you would be in danger," he said evenly. "Well, any more than you already are." Jareth gently removed the paper from her grasp and placed it back on the desk.

Lochlan let out a groan. "I'm leaving to get a drink. My teeth are rotting from seeing my brother be so saccharine. Disgusting," he said as he left the room.

"You grossed him out," Sarah said.

"Oddly, that's not hard to do," Jareth said as he escorted them back to the sofa. When they sat down, he reached up to hold her cheeks, caressing them with his thumbs.

"Going forward, you will feel as though you are walking blind, but I swear nothing will happen to you," Jareth pledged.

Sarah gave him a strained smile and said, "Jareth, don't make promises you can't possibly keep."

* * *

The meeting room in the Seelie Palace was in full chaos. The heads of the various nations with in the Seelie Court where yelling over each other, everyone except Queen Kalin of the Pixies and King Taggart of the Centaurs. Those two were sitting side by side ignoring the chaos and each other.

"Silence!" Oberon bellowed. The room immediately hushed.

"What is this madness, Oberon?" King Cillian of the Giants sneered as he banged his hand which contained a missive on the table.

Only a few hours have passed since Jareth sent his message to the various monarch heads.

"The Goblin Kingdom has declared war on us, and the Unseelies have as well? And when were you going to tell us that the Princess ran off to their king?" asked King Rhys of the Dwarves.

"Those are lies!" bellowed Oberon.

"Only two days ago, you said she was kidnapped by the Unseelie king and to ready our soldiers for an assault on his Court. Which one is it, Oberon?" Queen Kalin smirked, her lilting voice not betraying her contempt for the situation. A tall fae with jet black hair, she stood out greatly with her pixie subjects who were known to be miniscule with white hair.

Although she would admit the situation at hand was serious, Queen Kalin has never cared for Oberon. Unfortunately, she always felt as though her hands were tied when it came to the Court. Queen Kalin knew better than anyone that pixies could never truly defend themselves.

"Our intelligence was clearly faulty in that arena, but rest assured, my beloved daughter did not willingly go to that half-breed's lair," he defensively said.

"What is he doing here?" King Taggart demand as he pointed at the fae sitting next to King Aiden. King Taggart stood out against his other rulers in that he is the only one who was not a fae. As a centaur with long, wavy brown hair, he clearly didn't fit in with the room full of fae nobles.

"As the sworn betrothed to our future queen, I'm entitled to be here," Prince Kieran spat.

"So much entitlement," Kalin whispered as she rolled her eyes, causing Taggart to let out small chuckle.

"Forget that pompous prince!" Cillian yelled as his trademark temper showing. "Jareth is telling us to meet him on the battle field in a few days' time. None of our subjects will gladly go along with this."

"Have you forgotten that you are a king and not a diplomat?" King Aiden questioned.

"It's one thing to battle with the Unseelie Court; it's entirely different now that the two brothers have joined in arms," King Rhys said in a calm manner.

"Enough of this!" Oberon rose from his chair, his limited patience wearing thin. "If it's war these wretched _brothers_ want, a war they shall have. Are any of you seriously sitting here considering not avenging my daughter, your future queen? Her mother, your Queen, is beside herself in grief."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I need my princess back," Oberon choked out, sorrow in his eyes.

All of the monarchs in the room except Aiden and Kieran bowed their head, shamed that they would leave their king's only prodigy at the whims of the despised brothers.

"What all do you have need from us?" King Cillian asked quietly.

As the monarchs filed out of the meeting room, Queen Kalin pulled King Taggert to the side, much to his surprise. She wasn't known to associate with any of the royals without coercion.

Kalin looked Taggert in the eyes, hers alight with irritation. "I don't like this; none of this seems right."

"And? What do you want me to do about it?" Taggert said, shrugging his shoulders. "This is to be expected when we are part of the Court; we fight as one. Oberon is right. The princess needs to be brought home."

"Soemthing isn't right, and I can tell you don't like this either," Kalin said with mischief in her eyes. "It doesn't have to be this way."

A light went on in King Taggert's head as a sly smile crept across his face.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.


	22. Chapter 22

_Oh, can't anybody see  
We've got a war to fight_

* * *

As Queen Kalin muddled her way through the murky forest, she internally cursed centaurs and their disgusting kingdom. King Taggert demanded that she come to his hidden cabin that he called Pelium by herself. Armed with the map he sent her, she moved forward, trying her best to keep the mud away from her turquoise gown, and failing miserably. Her normally straight dark hair became wavy and slightly frizzled as she continued on her journey. Kalin stopped near a small stream where the map indicated the cabin should be, but she saw nothing.

"You stupid equine!" she yelled, turning in a circle hoping to find any semblance of shelter or that damn king. Suddenly, a hand reached out and snatched her wrist, pulling her across the stream, and knocking her into a large torso.

"Gah!" she screamed as she wrestled her arm away from the intruder. Kalin looked up to see Taggert standing over her, attempting to suppress his laughter. Seeing the cabin he promised in his note, she pushed him aside and marched toward it.

"You fool! I don't know what makes you think I make a sport of trudging through the woods in my gowns," she spat. Taggert caught up with her and continued to walk a safe distance from her punching hand.

"I never told you to wear a gown," he jested. Kalin stopped walking and turned to scowl at the centaur.

"All. I. Have. Are. Gowns," Kalin bit out.

As they made their way to the double wooden doors, he said, "Time to rethink your wardrobe."

"My wardrobe? You're the one that's not wearing a shirt," she countered. All previous meetings she had with Taggert, she always noticed that he was wearing a tunic of some kind. This time he was bare chested, wearing nothing but his necklace, the one all reigning monarchs wore.

"My home; my rules," he responded. "You have no idea how annoying it is to wear those shirts to appease you fae."

Taggert opened the doors to reveal a cozy cottage with a sparse interior and straw littered the wooden floors. Kalin was no more pleased with this change in surroundings.

"Why did you insist on me meeting you here? I have a perfectly lovely meeting room in my castle, and I'm sure you have one in yours," she asked, while looking around critically at the small lodge. "This is quite pedestrian."

Taggert strolled over to a wooden stove that was already a blazed with a tea kettle on top. He gestured to the small dining table that had three chairs; the empty spot at the table was clearly his area.

"You are quite spoilt, aren't you?" he asked as he walked over to table, where Kalin was waiting with the kettle and cups in hand.

"It's understandable that you and your kind," she said as she gestured to him, "appreciate the wonders of the outdoors. But some of us like to appreciate it from the comforts of our homes." She reached up to the crown of her head and slowly raked her hands through her hair, smoothing out the strands.

"No one knows about this place but me," he said while pouring tea into the cups. "This is the safest place to discuss these matters. Your castle and mine can't be considered trustworthy now."

Out of all the current ruling monarchs, Kalin and Taggert were the newest. Taggert came to power after the passing of his uncle, King Rufus, nearly one hundred years ago. However, Kalin was even newer, having only been in power for almost ten years, following the death of her mother, Queen Sabina.

King Taggert was lucky enough to not have inherited the renowned temper of his uncle, whereas Kalin could be described the same way as her mother: always posh, sometimes cold, and usually dismissive. Kalin wasn't always outright nasty; she just believed that life was too short for meaningless pleasantries with those she didn't care for- even if she was fae.

"We can't go along with Oberon's foolish plan," Taggert said. "No one should be this eager to go to war."

"I'm supposed to say that; this was my idea," Kalin said, a bit miffed. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be going along with this insanity as well."

"And? Do you want an award?" Taggert replied.

"Yes! Well, no… I don't need any validation," she said with her chin held high, trying to recover from her outburst. "Just remember that I pulled you out of the fire."

"And into the frying pan," he muttered as he sipped his tea.

"What?" Kalin asked incredulously. She never cared much for ridiculous sayings, but she had never heard of that one. Taggert let out a low chuckle as he slowly shook his head.

"Never mind that," he said. "Did you have a plan in mind or did you just want to stir up shit?"

Kalin mouth curled into a devious smile. "My dear horse friend, why can't it be both?"

* * *

"You two are late," Sarah chastised as the two brothers came into the throne room. She turned to face them and crossed her arms in annoyance, but the smile she gave them betrayed her true feelings.

"Why are you wearing men's trousers?" Lochlan asked.

"For the final time, they are jeans. Women's jeans," she explained as she leaned against the wall next to the window.

"Are you attracted to her cross dressing habits?" he said to Jareth, as his brother made his way to his throne.

"Say one more thing about my jeans, and I'll punch you in the face," Sarah threatened.

"I see what is happening here. You no longer yell at me because Sarah does it instead," Lochlan complained to his brother.

"Stop complaining. You complain too much," she said.

Two days passed since Jareth sent the letters to his governors and to the Seelie Court. Oberon's troops were marching toward the castle in six days. The mood in the castle was not somber or tense but rather resigned. The only contention that the trio ran into was Jareth's insistence that Sarah stay behind in the castle during battle. She felt as though she should be able to help in any way possible, no matter how menial the task would be. Jareth so far refused to consider the possibility, and Lochlan learned to keep his mouth shut when it came to their arguments.

Sarah inhaled deeply and started to speak when Jareth spoke up and said, "No." He already knew where this conversation was heading. She calmly walked toward the throne.

"Jareth…"

"How many times must we discuss this? You're going nowhere near that battlefield," he said sternly.

"I can't just stay here and wait for whatever horrible ending that may take place," she countered.

Jareth rose from his throne and stared Sarah down. "I'm not going to risk losing you."

"But I should risk losing you? The only one who really knows what he's doing is Lochlan," she stated while gesturing to the Unseelie king.

Poor Lochlan. He wanted nothing to do with this as he quietly made his way to the window, wanting to be ignored by the quarrelling twosome. As Sarah continued her diatribe, Jareth attempted to keep his temper under control but was failing fast. The two of them had been over this topic, and they both, according to him, agreed to keep her in the castle as he and Lochlan took to the field. Sadly, he was mistaken.

"You're army has a lot of humans in it; I could help by being a medic," she offered. "I mean, I don't know anything about medicine besides taking aspirin for a headache…"

"Sarah! Quiet!" he yelled as he formed a crystal and threw it across the throne room. The crystal hit the stones bordering the wooden doors, causing the stones to shake and a few to become unhinged, falling to the ground.

Sarah turned to Jareth and said, "Well, that was unnecessary."

"I didn't intend to do that," he said with confusion as he made his way to the doors.

"There was something wrong with your crystal," Lochlan stated. "I knew that you seemed different the other day in the dining hall."

"What's going on?" Sarah wondered aloud as she noticed the brothers inspect the damage Jareth caused. She came up behind them as Jareth inspected the wall.

"These walls are very sturdy; I don't know why this happened," Jareth said as he put his fists on his hips.

"The crystal," Lochlan said while overly enunciating his words. "I thought I saw something amiss with yours. Make a crystal."

Jareth regarded his brother carefully but did as he was told. The crystal he created at first looked like a normal crystal until he noticed a small amount of red swirl in the crystal and immediately disappeared.

"Oh cool trick. What does this mean?" Sarah remarked.

"No," Jareth whispered. "This isn't possible." Sarah noticed Lochlan's highly amused expression contrasted greatly with Jareth's distraught features.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Let me ask this: how often do you and my brother engage in intercourse?" Lochlan questioned.

Sarah quickly shook her head. "No," she said defiantly. "I'm not answering that." She turned to Jareth and said, "Your brother is being weird. What is going on here?"

"This isn't possible," Jareth said. "Something like this never happens. It's only a crazy theory."

"Everything about her is a crazy theory," Lochlan countered, pointing to Sarah.

"Hey!" Sarah exclaimed, unsure if she should be offended by his comments. "Someone, anyone, tell me what's going on here."

Jareth grabbed Sarah's face, forcing her to look him in his extremely serious features.

"I never intended for any of this to happen, Sarah," he plead in earnest. "You must believe me."

"Stop being manic," she said as she released his grip on her face. "What should I not kill you about?"

"The two of you are slowly bonding," Lochlan explained. "He's slowly gaining some of you magic, and I assume you have some of his as well."

"A bond? We didn't have a ceremony. How is this possible?"

In the Underground, only two types of unions were known to exist: a marriage, which was very similar to those in the Aboveground, and a bond. Few couples entered into a bond since it required an intricate ceremony and an emotional link that most couples did not have. The bonding ceremony usually resulted in the sharing of magic between the two parties.

"Three seems to be a crowd," Lochlan said as he opened the door to leave. "Won't be too hard to find me if you need me."

"Seems as though your magic is now tied to your emotions as well," she said, surveying the rubble on the ground. Jareth paced around the throne room while raking his hands through his hair. "What is this slow bond? Is it another weird thing that's happening to me?"

"To us," he clarified as he turned to look at her. "Sarah, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" she laughed uncomfortably. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's happening."

"I'm taking your magic."

"And apparently, I'm taking yours," Sarah reasoned.

"And I took it without your knowledge; I'm no better than Kiernan," Jareth mused as he massaged his forehead.

"No," she answered forcefully. "No you're not, and you know it." Sarah walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and led him over to the window.

"Why are you taking this so seriously?" she asked.

"Why are you so casual about someone taking your magic?" he retorted as he looked outside at the Labyrinth.

"This is a weird new experience that neither one of us completely understands, but if it's anything like a regular bonding ceremony, you didn't take anything. Neither did I; and you know that," Sarah stated. "What is this about?"

"Bonds are serious and irreversible. Now, you are bonded with me whether you wanted to or not," Jareth mused.

Sarah's mouth curled into a knowing smile. She reached over and wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Were you going to ask me to marry you?" she teased.

Jareth released an irritated breath. "Not with all this nonsense going on," he muttered. "I never wanted you to feel pressured into anything; I wanted you to come to the realization on your own."

"And obviously, I did or this bond wouldn't have occurred," she said, gently shaking him. "Look, you said bonds are serious and irreversible. Well, the little I know about them, bonds aren't accidental. We wanted this whether we were aware of it or not. And frankly, I'm thrilled someone else has deal with this stupid magic."

Jareth rested his palms on the ledge and bowed his head.

"Enough of this," Sarah demanded as she grabbed his face and combed her hand through his hair. "Enough of this self-flagellation. I hate to see you do this yourself. There's no reason for you to be like this."

"Things are not going the way I planned," he confessed.

Sarah smiled and said, "When has anything you wanted ever gone according to plan?"

"Just this one time, I wanted things to work out," Jareth said.

"These situations are just road blocks, detours, Jareth," Sarah explained. "The destination will be the same."

"And what's that destination, Sarah?" he asked. His eyes gazed into hers, intent to hear her answer.

"You and me, together, no matter what," she answered.

Jareth's lips descended and captured hers. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her body closer to his. He gently bit her lower lip and then pressed her against the stone wall. Sarah wrapped her leg around him as his gloved hand reached under her shirt and began to gently fondle her breast.

"Bloody hell!"

Sarah pushed Jareth away from her and quickly readjusted her shirt, scared by the third party who just witnessed the two of them.

"You two do that in private," Lochlan exclaimed again in disgust as he made his way back into the throne room.

"What now?" Sarah asked, clearly annoyed. Jareth was very much amused that she was as disappointed in the interruption as he was.

Lochlan walked toward them with a small scroll in his hand.

"What's in your hand?" Jareth asked.

"It seems as though you have some guests requesting entry," Lochlan stated. Jareth had given his brother a permanent crystal to bypass the various walls he erected. This allowed war planning to become more seamless.

"I can see now why you weren't paying attention to the outer wall. Can't really blame you," Lochlan said, giving the two a grin.

"And why were you roaming around out there?" Jareth asked as he snatched the scroll from his brother.

"Have I mentioned how much goblins annoy me?" Lochlan stated. "This place is crawling with them. Even the city."

"This is the _Goblin_ Kingdom," Sarah said sarcastically.

"Don't worry," he sneered in abhorrence. "I know."

Meanwhile, Jareth read the scroll several times, ensuring he understood it correctly. He could barely believe what he was reading.

"Did you read this?" Jareth asked, finally looking up from the parchment.

"No," Lochlan said. When Jareth gave him a suspicious look, he said, "I know this sounds surprising, but I am capable of respecting boundaries."

"Jareth, what is it?" Sarah asked.

"Kalin and Taggert are here, requesting an audience," he stated.

Lochlan let out a small chuckle. "What could they possibly want to talk about?" Ever since he met them on the hill, Lochlan still couldn't figure out what those two wanted.

"I'm going to find out," Jareth said as he made his way to the throne room door, but Lochlan cut him off at the pass.

"Have you forgotten that they're the enemy? And you're just going to let them walk in here," Lochlan spat.

"Coming here is too much of a risk for them," Sarah said. "Let's not be reckless about this, but we should hear them out."

"They should be placed in iron restraints," Lochlan demanded.

"You can't just put two sitting royals in cuffs," Sarah protested.

"Yes, I can," Jareth said. "Like you said, we shouldn't be reckless. Avitus!"

His advisor immediately appeared.

"Grab two goblins and have them bring six iron shackles. We must give our guests a proper welcome."

* * *

Queen Kalin and King Taggert sat next to each other in Jareth's study. Jareth was at his desk with Sarah sitting next to him. Lochlan, conversely, was pacing behind them, obviously agitated.

"Are these really necessary?" Kalin said while holding up her bound wrists.

"Yes," Lochlan answered without breaking his stride.

"By the looks of it, I can see you are not a brainwashed prisoner," Taggert said to Sarah. "Certainly in no need for avenging."

"Um… what?" Sarah asked, perplexed.

"Is that the latest lie Oberon is spinning?" Jareth asked.

"Yes," Kalin replied. "Apparently, you were taken against your will into the half-breed's lair."

Lochlan stopped his pacing, and both brothers turned and glared at her, very much displeased with her choice of words.

"Not my words," Kalin said, holding her hands up in protest. "Oberon said it. I find it lazy to insult people based on parentage, but no one has ever claimed Oberon was a clever fae. But look at you two sitting next to each other. So close; it's beyond charming. You're dark hair juxtaposed with his blond. It's very fitting…"

"Why are you here?" Jareth interrupted, allowing the slur to slide and ceasing the Pixie Queen's tendency to talk too much.

"The entire Seelie court was called to a meeting at the Palace, and everyone was there." Taggert said.

"Everyone except the Troll king. He's been ill lately. Oberon had to send the plans to his castle," Kalin explained. "You know, he should just pass the throne to his son. I don't know why he can't just go to the Fade. I always assumed he never really liked that spawn of his. Shame, really. He's been ruling ever since the revolt."

"Kalin," Taggert whispered, trying to end her rambling. "As hard as it may be to imagine, I wouldn't be here without Kalin. She was the only one with any sense in that room to root out the bullshit that Oberon was feeding us."

"And you decided to visit us with this information? For what?" Jareth mused. "Charity? Believing us half-breeds are useless without you?"

"Oberon's not backing down; this war is going forward," Taggert said in earnest. "Whatever the outcome, we don't want to aid his lunacy. Whatever he's doing this for, we don't want our kingdoms be complicit in his actions."

"Plus, Oberon is a dick who's been lying to all of us," Kalin added. When everyone in the room looked at Kalin, she said, "What? I go Aboveground sometimes. Such colorful vernacular. Humans are fun."

"Why haven't you gone to other kings about this?" Sarah asked.

"And risk them turning us in, overturning our kingdoms—"

"Eh hem. And Queendom."

"—to Oberon, and being killed for treason? We can't risk that. You weren't there. At the end of that meeting, everyone was filled with such devotion," Taggert said. "We decided not to risk our necks on asking other rulers treasonous questions."

"If you join us and we lose, you'll die anyway," Sarah stated.

"Like Taggert said, we need to be on the side of good or something like that," Kalin said dismissively.

"Also, Oberon is a dick," Sarah said with a sly smile.

"Very much so," Kalin said with a nod.

* * *

King Aiden strolled into Oberon's office, locking the door behind him. Instead of sitting in the chair across the desk where Oberon was seated, Aiden sat in a large winged back chair next to the fireplace.

"Is everything going according to plan?" Oberon inquired.

"Satisfactorily well, in fact," Aiden beamed. "I just received word from Brennus that the Trolls are will be joining us as well."

"Brennus? As in Prince Brennus?" Oberon asked.

"Acting King Brennus, actually. It seems as though he has received a promotion while we were busy with other things," Aiden explained. "Are things going well on your end? Sounds like I'm doing all the hard work."

"Don't flatter yourself too much, you pompous fae," Oberon said as he made his way over to the seating area with drinks in hand. "Finnean has the orb ready; it's being kept safe in the tower. I suggest we proceed like last time."

"Of course. While I have to ride into battle, you just stay here and sit on your ass," Aiden complained.

Oberon gave his friend the glass and let out a snickered. "Do you really expect me, the Seelie King, to go into battle? Surely, you must be mad. Don't act like I do nothing. Someone has to coordinate the efforts, and you can't do that while you are in the midst of the chaos, ensuring the protection of the orb."

Aiden rolled his eyes at that explanation. "Just admit you have no fighting skills, and we can move." Oberon said nothing but continued to sip his drink.

"And what of Sarah, hmm?" Aiden asked.

"I already told you: she's of no use for us," Oberon said.

"Oh, come now, Oberon. I'm sure we can put her to some use," Aiden said. "You put so much effort into creating her; it would be a shame to just throw her aside. Seems frivolous."

Now, it was Oberon's turn to roll his eyes. "If this is about Kiernan, tell him he can find someone else to warm his bed. I don't know why he's so caught up on her."

"Because he's knows what he wants and will do the most he can to get it, just like his father," he grinned.

"Ugh. Fine. Finnean might be able to take away her magic again, or, at least, most of it. I'm sure that elf can find a way to destroy it. We can allow her to live as long as she agrees to yield her magic," Oberon conceded. "Tell Kiernan he owes me a large wedding gift for this. I'm thinking elven wine."

"We must make sure she gives her magic up before she learns about her former governess," Aiden mused. "She might lash out again."

"Eh," Oberon shrugged. "She was human; they all die quickly. Sarah will get used to that fact."

"What did Finnean say it was, again? Typhoid or something like that," Aiden asked. "Human diseases always confound me. Just a sneeze and the next thing you know, they're dead."

"Why does it matter? I'm just glad he decided to dispose of the body himself. Have you ever seen a dead human? Disgusting," Oberon said, revolted.

"Well, I'm off to continue the battle strategy that you so lovingly shoved onto my plate," Aiden said as he stood from his chair. "The head generals from each kingdom will be meeting with me later this evening."

"Make sure you put the dwarves and centaurs at the front lines. Horrible creatures," Oberon said. "The fewer of them the better."

"Ah yes. We should do our best to kill multiple birds with one stone," Aiden smirked as he made his way to the door.

* * *

"Our generals are meeting with Aiden this evening," Kalin said while showing her discomfort with wearing the shackles.

"I doubt the plans set up tonight will be the final ones for battle," Taggert added. "But it will give us a glimpse into his strategy."

"Do your generals know you're here?" Sarah asked.

"Of course not!" Kalin said, incredulous at the assumption. "The less they know going into that meeting the better."

"You don't trust the leaders of your militaries?" Jareth asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"No, we just don't want to risk someone tipping their hand," Kalin answered. "What if they start acting weird or something? They are our generals; they will listen to us no matter what- that you can be certain about."

Lochlan grasped Jareth and Sarah by their arms and pulled them away from the two monarchs.

"Yeah, so, for future refence, I don't like to be grabbed like that," Sarah said as she released herself from his hold.

"The two of you don't really believe a word they are saying, do you?" Lochlan questioned.

"I don't see why not," Sarah answered. "Look, if you are still concerned about them, we won't tell them any of our plans. If they brought back Aiden's plans, would that be enough for you?"

"Sarah's correct," Jareth added. "Even if it is not the complete, we would be much assisted by this information."

"We only have three days left," Sarah said. "I know you don't trust anyone from the Seelie Court, but beggars can't be choosers."

"What?" Lochlan asked, affronted. "I'm no beggar."

"That's not what I… Never mind," she said as she turned to Kalin and Taggert. "Okay. You can join us, but we have some stipulations."

"Who the hell put her in charge?" Lochlan whispered to Jareth.

Jareth gave his brother a sly smile and said, "She did."


	23. Chapter 23

_What is this whole crusade's a charade_

_And behind it all there's a price to be paid_

* * *

"This is disgusting," Kalin whined as she walked with Taggert by her side. "This place is disgraceful. How could anyone live here?" Her flowing red gown kept being caught by the random muck stuck to the floor. "I'm sure he has servants who can clean; he should put them to use."

The two of them came to a stop in front of enormous French arch metal doors with large link chains for handles.

Kalin looked at Taggert and gestured to the door. "I'm not touching that thing."

The Centaur king rolled his eyes as he reached up and knocked. An odd hollow noise rang through the halls.

"Enter," came a voice behind the doors. When Taggert pulled hard on the door, it groaned in protest. Kalin walked through first with all the attitude of a clearly fed up fae.

"Do you not have staff?" She chastised. "Do you just _prefer_ the smell that this place gives off? And get rid of her; she has no business being here."

Lochlan sat in his large, black throne with one of his concubines sitting in his lap. He whispered something into the dainty elf's ear before she left the throne room.

"You seem to be in a critical mood this morning, Pixie Queen," Lochlan said as he rested one leg over one arm of the throne. Kalin tried to suppress her revulsion at his throne's armrests, which consisted of wooden harpies that appeared to shriek at the Unseelie king's audience.

"You knew we would be coming here. The least you could do is act as though you were expecting company, even those you don't particularly like," she countered.

The previous day, when Kalin and Taggert were in the Goblin Kingdom, Sarah had the two agree that they would deliver Aiden's plans to Lochlan. Not only would handing over these plans be a sign of trust, but their taking this risk would be an immense sign of confidence. Jareth and Sarah as well as Kalin and Taggert agreed that this was an acceptable arrangement. Lochlan, however, did not.

"To be honest, I didn't expect either one of you to show up," Lochlan shrugged. "It seems I owe my brother several cases of mead."

Kalin was outraged. "What? You bet on us! We risk our necks, basically forming a coup that could get us killed, and you are using us for parlor games."

"It does help pass the time," he said flippantly.

Taggert placed his arm out to cease her attempt to walk up to Lochlan and do fates know what.

"Still have trust issues?" Taggert asked, holding an agitated Kalin at his side.

"I've had no reason to believe you two," Lochlan said. "Frankly, my brother and his troublemaking queen are more optimistic than me."

"Queen?" Kalin and Taggert asked in tandem.

Lochlan waved his hand dismissively. "It's bound to happen. No reason to beat around the bush. Do you have something for me? Or do I not actually owe Jareth that mead after all."

Kalin reached under the sleeve of her gown and pulled out a scroll which he handed to Taggert. "Here, roan, I might punch him if I get close enough."

Taggert took both their scrolls in his hand and walked up to Lochlan's throne, arm outstretched to the Unseelie King. Lochlan glanced down at the scrolls and then at Taggert. He motioned the centaur closer to him.

As he reached for the scrolls, Lochlan whispered, "I've always believed that centaurs hated to be referred to as horse."

Taggert gave a small smile. "We do," he whispered back. Taggert left Lochlan's side and went to Kalin's side.

As they made their way out of the throne room, Lochlan called out with laughter, "You do like a challenge, don't you, Centaur?"

Taggert briefly turned back and gave the amused king a sly smile. Kalin turned her head to Lochlan and them up to Taggert.

"What the hell is he going on about?" she asked.

"That's not important," he said, rushing her out the door. "We need to return to our castles before anyone finds out where we are."

* * *

"Are you still in bed?" Jareth said as he walked into her bedroom, tray in hand. Sarah sat up a little and rested on her arms.

"You weren't supposed to come back so quickly," she said.

"I've been gone for nearly an hour," he clarified while he placed one of the trays on Sarah's lap.

"Well, it seemed shorter," she said as she began eating. Jareth kicked off his boots and took his place next to her in bed. Sarah leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank you for bringing breakfast," Sarah said with a smile. A sly smile crossed Jareth's mouth.

"What do I get for bringing you lunch in bed?" he asked.

Sarah rolled her eyes and said, "I'm just going to ignore that."

"You shouldn't; I'm being serious," Jareth said, cutting into his food.

"I have no doubt that you're being serious," Sarah laughed as he joined in. A small knock stopped their merriment.

"Come in," Sarah called out. Darcy walked in, holding a piece of paper.

"Avitus told me to give this to you as soon as possible," Darcy explained as she handed it to Jareth. "That fae is a nervous one."

"Thank you, Darcy," Sarah said, dismissing the goblin. Darcy bowed and left the room.

Jareth broke the seal on the parchment and read what was inside.

"Lochlan?" Sarah asked in between eating a piece of toast.

Jareth smiled and said, "He owes me some mead."

"I'm sorry….what?" Sarah asked, very confused.

"Kalin and Taggert actually did show up with the plans," he explained.

"You two bet on this?"

Jareth shrugged. "I needed to find entertainment out of this somehow."

Sarah just stared at Jareth in response as he continued to read his brother's missive.

"You and your brother are odd faes," she muttered. "I hope you realize that."

"I would hate to be considered normal," he stated.

"Shouldn't we tell Kalin and Taggert that we are going to meet later?" Sarah asked.

Jareth formed a crystal. Red pigment swirled in the crystal just like last time, but the red was brighter and lasted longer before it disappeared.

"Still getting used to that?" she asked.

"It's nothing to get used to," Jareth said, reassuring her. "It's just the way things are now." He released the crystal, and it soon left out the window.

"What was that for" Sarah asked.

"Sending instructions to Avitus," Jareth explained. "I'm sure Lochlan still doesn't like any of this, but he'll just have to suffer."

* * *

"Stop pacing. Walking back and forth won't stop them from arriving," Sarah told Lochlan.

The Unseelie king's constant movement was driving Sarah crazy. Jareth sat at the head of the table where he ate some biscuits covered in jam and ignored his brother's pacing. Sarah decided that since everyone had to be up so late, there might as well be snacks. Jareth loved the way she thought. A moment later, Avitus walked through the dining hall doors.

"Taggert, King of the Centaurs, and Kalin, Queen of the Pixies, are here. Shall I escort them in?" Avitus asked.

Jareth waved his hand in annoyance. "Yes, Avitus. Let them in," he said, dismissively.

Avitus walked out and immediately two figures cloaked in robes walked in. The smaller figure uncovered first, revealing Kalin.

"Sneaking into this kingdom isn't fun," she complained. "And neither is that invisible wall you have around this place."

"Did you run in to it?" Lochlan asked with a smile, ceasing his pacing.

"Shut. Up," Kalin spat. Taggert revealed himself, but Sarah noticed something different about him.

"Um… where is your… uh… horse… part?" Sarah hoped she didn't insult him, but when a known centaur walks into the room looking like a fae, she had to ask.

"Oh, sorry about that," Taggert said. He did a quick shake and his centaur form returned. Sarah was left speechless.

"So that's how that works," Jareth mumbled with a sly smile. Sarah's whipped around as she glared at him.

"Not another word," she mouthed to him.

"It's a nice magical trick that only centaurs have," Taggert explained. "It comes in handy when you are attempting to sneak into castles, and you stick out like a sore thumb." Taggert made his way over to the table and pulled out the chair that on Jareth's left and placed it to the side.

"Oh! Are those biscuits?" Kalin exclaimed as she tossed her cloak to the side and grabbed a chair next to Sarah. "I'm starving. I spent all afternoon and evening with my advisors, and I missed my evening meal."

"Finding war planning exhausting?" Lochlan taunted as he continued his pacing behind Jareth's chair.

"Ignore him. You'll be better for it," Jareth said. "I take you, Taggert, went over these plans as well."

Taggert let out an irritated breath. "Of course, I did," he said, trying to keep calm. "I most definitely noticed where he decided to place my centaurs. All of us up front."

"With the dwarves," Kalin added. "Can you believe it? I guess the centaurs can provide cover for them, but there are no bodyguards in battle. Being used as pawns. Those poor little guys are expected to be slaughtered."

The room got unpleasantly quiet, and an anxious feeling flooded Sarah as she briefly thought of her dwarf friend and whether he still had family there.

"We have to make this war come to an end, quickly," Sarah stated.

"Congratulations," Lochlan mocked. "You figured out what both sides want out of this."

"Stop trying to be comical," she snapped back. "Our plan needs to neutralize this as soon as possible."

"We need to get to Aiden," Jareth posited, stroking his chin with his hand. "He had the orb last time; I'm sure he'll have it again. He's commanding all the troops. If we stop him, we can bring this to a halt."

"And then we can go to the Palace and put an end to all of this," Sarah added.

"Uh, excuse me," Kalin said, while raising a finger in the air. "What orb are you speaking of, and why do we give a shit about it?"

Sarah looked at Lochlan and then at Jareth.

"Well, I guess we forgot to tell them," Jareth said nonchalantly while taking a sip from his glass. Sarah turned to Kalin and then to Taggert.

"So, yeah, there's more to this than just the war," Sarah said, unsure of how they will react.

"What could be more significant than this war?" Taggert asked.

* * *

An hour later, Kalin marched around the room her outbursts where being attempted to be quieted by the centaur who kept trying to keep her calm and still.

"This is bullshit!" she exclaimed. "This is insanity! What does he plan to do with this power? I doubt he'll be accepting with the kingdom structure as it is. "

"And now you have been fully inducted into our world," Jareth said glibly. "Welcome."

"You didn't think to tell us this earlier?" Taggert asked yet still calming down Kalin.

"Did you miss the part where we couldn't trust you?" Lochlan asked, now leaning against one of the walls.

Kalin turned from Taggert and glared at Jareth, her blue eyes standing out greatly against her onyx hair.

"No one here is planning to have Oberon in jail, right?" Kalin said. "No one is stupid enough to keep him alive. He and that wretched wife of his must be destroyed." A sharp jab from Taggert cause Kalin to briefly regard the words she just said. Kalin realized that she was calling for someone in the room to commit parricide in addition to regicide.

"Oh," Kalin said softly. "I'm so…"

"No," Sarah interrupted, shaking her head. "No need to apologize or clarify what you said. I've come to terms with this a while ago. It's fine." Kalin marched up to Sarah and moved her chair to face her and sat down.

Kalin grabbed Sarah's face, and Sarah saw a look of determination she'd never before seen in the Pixie Queen.

"It's not fine. Don't ever say this is fine," Kalin demanded. "We will win this; we have to. And when we do, Taggert and I will be there to make sure you seamlessly take your throne. Right, Taggert?"

"Of course," he said with a small bow.

"Thank you," Sarah whispered, taken aback yet touched by Kalin's sentiments. "Both of you. That means a lot."

"It will mean a lot more after we finish Oberon and Aiden," Jareth said, producing a piece of paper and a quill pen out of thin air.

"So we all agree that the fastest way to stop this is to get to that orb," Taggert said, taking his place at the table. "If Aiden is smart, he'll make sure he's covered."

"Lochlan, how well do you trust your harpies with this mission?" Jareth asked as he started jotting down plans. Lochlan rubbed his forehead in concentration, mulling over several ideas.

"I don't," he finally answered. "They're easy enough to direct during conflict, but not control. I suggest the sluagh."

Kalin noticeably shivered in her seat.

"Sluagh," she whispered with dread. "I'm so happy my pixies aren't fighting them."

* * *

Sarah came out of the bathroom, wearing one of her nightgowns that Jareth hated. She noticed that he was not in the room but saw that the balcony doors were open, allowing the late morning breeze to come in. She walked out to see Jareth, shirtless, leaning against the railing.

"You're up early," he said without looking at her. "How much did you sleep? Twelve? Thirteen hours?"

"Ha. Ha. You're very funny," Sarah said as she wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning her head against his back.

The late night planning stretched into the early morning, with an agreement that Taggert and Kalin would arrive with their troops after midnight, but probably the hhearly morning. None of this planning or the anticipation of what would occur the following day made sleeping well through the night possible.

"I'm so tired. Saving the world is hard work," Sarah joked with a yawn. Jareth released a low chuckle, turning around keeping her arms wrapped around him.

"Know this: everything would be unbearable without you here by my side," he confessed as he placed a small kiss on her forehead.

Sarah gave him a small smile. "I know this isn't my fault, but, sometimes, I feel like things wouldn't have turned out this way if I just stayed Aboveground." Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe the war preparations were finally getting to her, and she had enough with planning on how to kill her parents. Whatever it was, she was feeling less sure and more tentative as the hours ticked by.

Anger shot through Jareth as he grasped her shoulders tight. "How many times does it have to be said that Oberon—"

"Yeah, I know," she conceded. "I know. I'm just so tired."

Jareth guffawed. "I know that. You just said—"

"No. I mean, I…I want this to end," Sarah said as she hugged him tight. "I want things to go back to normal, but I don't even know what normal is. Frankly, none of us do."

Sarah inhaled deeply and buried her head in his chest as Jareth raked one of his ungloved hands through her hair.

"Soon this will be over," Jareth said. "And you know what we'll do then?"

Sarah slowly shook her head. He placed his hand under her chin making her look him in his eyes.

"I'm going to make sure we go away for a while, to some place marvelous," he said.

"Like where?"

"Trying to ruin my surprise? I won't let you," Jareth countered.

Sarah laughed and said, "You don't know where yet, do you?"

"Quiet. Stop ruining my half planned ideas," he chuckled.

"Any requests?" he asked, as he began swaying them back and forth, in a small type of dance.

"Anywhere, hmm?" she mused, allowing him to walk her back inside the room. After a moment, she shook her head and said, "I don't care. Just surprise me."

A predatory grin smile crossed his lips, and Sarah instantly regretted her remarks.

"Don't pick anywhere crazy," Sarah amended. "Some place sweet and nice."

Jareth grabbed Sarah tight by her shoulders, yet gently caressed her arms with his thumbs. "Ah, but I don't do sweet and nice," he whispered into her ear.

Sarah got on her tip toes and kissed the end of his nose. "Liar," she whispered.

Sarah was correct; sometimes he could be sweet and nice, but now he didn't feel like being so sweet. Jareth lowered his mouth to hers. The touch of his mouth still sent Sarah's spinning, and she hoped it would always be this way. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, and she opened to him willingly. She lifted her arms around his neck and ran her hands through his hair.

Jareth lifted her into his arms, never breaking with her lips. He carried her to the large wing backed chair in the corner of the room and gently released her hold on him, placing her back on the floor. His lips left hers and he waved his hand over her body. She was left lying naked as his intense stare bore down on her.

Sarah laughed and said, "You have no patience."

"Not one of my favorite virtues," he muttered, before he nipped her bottom lip.

Sarah rotated him and gently pushed him down to sit on the chair. He immediately pulled her down on top of him. Her legs draped over his, causing her sex to brush against the firm ridge of his arousal. His lips were on her neck, planting small kisses on her skin. Sarah's eyes clasped shut as she released a small moan. Jareth's fingers slid between them and trailed lightly up her thigh. Her muscles quivered under his touch. His fingers pushed a little higher, climbing a few more inches. His mouth moved to hers, nearly devouring her in passion and desperation. Jareth softly brushed his hand against her pussy. He gradually increased the pressure as Sarah pressed down into his hand. His fingers slipped into her core before swiftly retreating.

"No," Sarah groaned in protest and frustration. "Put it back." Jareth let out heady chuckle. Always willingly to do her bidding, he moved his hand back to her sex, caressing and teasing her. Sarah's hand locked on the seat behind his head. She squeezed tightly when his index finger thrust inside her. His thumb gently pressed against her clit, resulting in Sarah rotating and thrusting her hips against his hand.

Another moan escaped her lips when he thrust the second finger inside her. He kissed her neck. Jareth was a quick learner, and he learned quickly that caressing her neck always made her weak. His tongue licked her skin before he gave her neck a faint bite. He noticed Sarah's breath quickening, much too fast for his liking.

"Not yet, Precious," he chided as his fingers left her. Before she could say anything, his hand threaded into her hair and pulled her to his lips. Sarah reached between them and stroked Jareth through his trousers. His cock jerked beneath her touch. Now, it was Jareth's turn to moan. Jareth made his trousers disappear immediately. Her fingers closed around his shaft.

"Sarah…"

She pumped his cock. Once. Twice. His breath hissed out.

Touching him always inflamed her and Sarah could tell it was becoming her weakness, her addiction. And it was Jareth's also.

Sarah's lips captured his as his fingers pushed into her pussy again, thrusting hard. She released a strangled cry before Jareth seized her lips again. Next, he lifted her hips and carefully lowered her onto him. Her knees were on either side of his hips. One knee jammed into the armrest, but she couldn't find the need to care. Jareth began to move her, lifting her up and down.

"Can you…stay quiet?" he asked, grating his words as his eyes turned black. "Or will you scream for me?" Sarah's answer was only her heavy breathing.

"I like it when you scream," Jareth rasped.

Jareth thrust harder, and Sarah cried out in response. He drove deep and hard, sinking into the only bliss he'd ever known. His grip on her was so tight, and his nails had extended and were lightly piercing her skin. Sarah briefly wondered if he might leave her bruised. But, those thoughts fled her mind as Jareth continued pumping inside her. She tensed as she climaxed loud and hard, barely hearing Jareth's growl of pleasure as he climaxed as well. Sarah collapsed on top of him, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder. As she recovered her breathing, Jareth moved his hands over her back, gently caressing her as his own breath normalized. Several minutes passed before they said anything.

"Made you scream," he said. Sarah laughed and lifted her head to look at him.

"Did you doubt your abilities?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Never," Jareth replied as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Jareth grasped her face, gently stroking her face. "I love you," he whispered.

Sarah smiled and whispered, "I know." Jareth growled and pinched the side of her hip.

"Ouch!" she laughed. "I'm only joking. I love you too." His eyes softened as a look crossed his face. Sarah knew that look because she was sure she had that look earlier. Sarah's forehead touched his.

"Everything… It will…Everything will turn out okay," Sarah said as she finally got off his lap and made her way to the bathroom. But, Jareth knew better.

"I know you don't believe that," he stated, halting her steps. He rose from the chair and walked toward her. "Your optimism has been waning these past few days. You may fool everyone else but not me. Never me." Sarah turned around, and he saw the fear in her eyes. So much fear. Jareth reached out and clutched her tight to his chest.

"I don't want to lose you," she mumbled, trying to suppress the sob that wanted to break through. "I don't want to lose anyone." Jareth gently stroked her hair while resting his chin on her head.

"Would you like me to tell you the truth or a lie?" Jareth asked.

"Truth, please," she replied.

"Everything will turn out the way that it is supposed to," he said.

* * *

"Taggert! Will you hurry up? We don't have all day," Kalin said. She may be an early riser, but she was not a fan of being up before daybreak.

Out of the early morning fog, Taggert sauntered into view with his vast centaur army behind him.

"Where are your pixies?" he asked. "I know they're small, but are they invisible?"

"Aren't you clever," she said, unamused. She held up a small satchel and opened it slightly to reveal a medium sized orb. "They're much easier to transport this way."

"How much magic did it take for you to do that?" he wondered, shocked that she was able to do that.

"Well, let's me just say that if anything happens along the way, you and your friends are going to have to protect me, at least until we get to the castle," she revealed. "I should be back to normal by then."

Luckily, for Kalin, there was little to no chance that she and the centaur army would run into trouble. The centaur kingdom's eastern border ran along the Goblin Kingdom's western border. Once they arrived at Lorhurst, the most far western town in the Kingdom, the mayor of the town, Antonia, would contact Jareth. The combined magic of Jareth and Lochlan would transfer his army of two thousand centaurs.

Kalin had to remind herself of that there was a point to this as they marched across the lowlands that were uninhibited between the two kingdoms. Much to her objection, Taggert insisted they abide by proper protocol and walk to Lorhurst, instead of just magically appearing. She liked that her previous notions of centaurs have been mostly dashed. Unlike most monarchs, she kept mostly to her kingdom, only going to the Seelie Palace when summoned, as well as Taggert. She has been more than surprised by the fact that someone who also looks like a horse would have such manners and propriety. But as she tripped over a rock, she inwardly cursed his propriety.

"Ah!" she yelled as she grabbed Taggert's shoulder, breaking her fall.

"Steady there," he said, suppressing his laughter. He grabbed her by the waist, ensuring she could keep her balance. "At least you are not wearing a gown." Kalin, much to Taggert's surprise, wore a proper riding outfit. Not necessarily suitable for trekking across the land but better than those dresses.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, reassuring herself as much as she was him. They continued to walk with the army following behind them.

"Here," Taggert said, as he held out his hand. "If you ride on my back, it will save you the wonders of tripping over pebbles."

"I'll have you know that was a medium sized stone," Kalin said. "And I didn't see it. Also, I'm not going to get on your back. I thought centaurs hated being treated like horses. Wouldn't I be disrespecting you?"

"Not if I'm the one doing the asking. Now get on," he ordered. Kalin stopped walking and so did Taggert.

"How do I get on?" she asked, pointing to his back. "Do you I grab your hair or…"

In one fell swoop, Taggert grabbed Kalin around the waist and tossed her on his back.

"Gah! You can't just toss people around!" she yelled as she righted herself on his back.

"Hold on," he said. "We no longer have your two feet to worry about." Taggert and his centaurs started on a full gallop.

"I heard that, and that's not nice," she cried out.

When the group, arrived at the outskirts of Lorhurst, Antonia was already waiting for them at the town's entrance. As Taggert, still carrying Kalin, approached the mayor, Antonia lifted a curious eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, the medium height elf lifted a crystal to her lips and spoke into it.

"Welcome," Antonia said when the two finally came close to her. "It goes against my nature to not offer guest some of my town's hospitality, but," she looked past the royal pair to examine the throngs of centaurs. "I don't think I can accommodate all of you. But I'm told there are barracks set around the Labyrinth. I'm sure His Majesty will take care of your people there."

"My brother is known for his hospitality. Me? Not so much," Lochlan said, appearing behind Antonia. Lochlan immediately noticed Kalin astride Lochlan's back.

"I see the two of you have become close," he said with a wink. Kalin's cheeks uncharacteristically flushed, and she became flustered and immediately fumbled her way off his back. Taggert tried his best to help her down as he shot an irritated glare at Lochlan.

"Never mind that," Kalin said, knocking nonexistent dirt off her trousers. "Where's Jareth?"

"Here," came a voice behind her. The two royals turned around to see Jareth inspecting the centaur army. "Where are your pixies, Kalin?"

"Safe, in here," she answered as she held up her bag. Jareth seemed impressed with her mode of transporting her pixies. Lochlan walked forward to stand by his brother.

"Ready?" Jareth asked Taggert's army rhetorically. The two brothers raised their right hands, causing a mist to engulf the mass before they disappeared. Then they turned to Kalin's bag, causing its contents to disappear.

"You two as well," Lochlan said with a smirk.

"Do not send us to a moat, you jerk!" Kalin cried out, before she and Taggert disappeared.

Jareth dropped his head, shaking it slowly. "Please tell me you didn't send them to the moat," Jareth lamented.

"Of course not," Lochlan scoffed. "That type of humor is juvenile."

* * *

"That black eyed bastard!" Kalin yelled as she stormed into the throne room with Taggert following behind. But the only creature in the room was Sarah, sitting on the window ledge.

"Why are you guys covered in straw?" she asked, hopping down from the ledge. Sarah quickly put two and two together. "Oh no, that idiot. I'm really sorry about that." She looked Taggert in the eyes. "Lochlan's sense of humor can be…different. Definitely not for everyone… or anyone really."

Taggert gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm sure he's thrilled with his ongoing horse jokes. And no need to apologize. If a fae making a horse joke caused me distress, I wouldn't be much of a king, would I?"

"Yes, yes. One does need thick skin to rule, but that joke was insensitive and uncalled for," Kalin protested. "And dropping us in the stables is just rude. He's not the only one with a kingdom." Taggert turned to her to regard her fully.

"Caring about my feelings, Kalin?" he whispered as he gently removed some straw from her hair.

Trying not to act flustered, she crossed her arms, back up quickly, and said, "I can be nice. I'm a nice fae!"

"Well, okay then," Sarah said almost a little too loudly, feeling a little bit uncomfortable. "Are you two hungry? We should get something to eat." Sarah walked out of the throne room, hoping the two of them followed her, because she didn't want to look behind her. When Sarah opened the doors to the dining hall, she was met with the sight of the two brothers: Jareth sitting in his normal spot and Lochlan sitting to his left.

"You fool," Kalin growled as she began charging at the Unseelie king. Taggert caught her by the waist and brought her to his chest.

"Drop it, _A mhuirnín_ ," Taggert whispered. His words left Kalin shocked and speechless. Sarah knew three was a crowd and quickly made her way over to the table.

"What the hell is happening there?" Jareth whispered to Sarah when she finally sat down next to him.

Sarah smiled, but said nothing as the side door opened and elf servants came in with platters of food. Kalin sat next to Sarah and Taggert next to her. Even though Taggert convinced her to let the issue drop, she couldn't help shooting glares at Lochlan.

Jareth cleared his throat, hoping it would dispel the tension. "I have your troops quartered outside the Labyrinth at the northeast area. My soldiers are gathered in the south and eastern areas. Most of them are here, but a few will arrive later this afternoon."

"And where are your… things," Taggert asked Lochlan. If Taggert intended to insult Lochlan with that phrasing it didn't work. Lochlan just chuckled.

"You don't want my _things_ camping anywhere near your troops," he said. "I'm bringing them in the morning. It will make more of an impact if the Seelie army sees the sluagh flying overhead."

"You love to make a show out of things, don't you," Sarah said, less of a question since she already knew the answer.

"Of course, I do. Once they're here, I'll handover control to Jareth," Lochlan said. "I can better lead the troops that way." This news shocked Jareth. Everyone in the group agreed that Lochlan should lead the entire war effort; he was the only one who had actually fought in battle, but Jareth wasn't expecting to lead the sluagh. Jareth dropped his utensils in annoyance.

"When were you going to tell me this?" he asked with displeasure.

"Now," Lochlan answered. "I just told you now."

"What do you mean 'handover control' of the sluagh?" Sarah asked. "How is this different from the other Unseelie?"

"The sluagh is a horrid, vile, killing machine," Kalin stated.

"Thank you for speaking so highly of them. They are good at what they do," Lochlan said with a smile. "When left to their own devices, they tend to run amuck, which is fine when they are in the forest. But if I set the host loose on the battlefield, the sluagh would strike either side, leaving us all in ruin."

"So why do you think Jareth can control them?" Sarah asked. "He's not King of the Unseelie; you are."

"It's not easy to control them," Jareth said, chiming in. "You need powerful Unseelie magic."

"Which you have," Lochlan interjected.

"I'm not controlling the sluagh," Jareth pushed back. "We have the plans drawn out; any one of us could lead, even Kalin."

Kalin could have considered his words an insult, but she knew that she had no business leading an entire battalion of troops.

"Oh no," she said, shaking her head vigorously. "I cannot and will not be doing any of that nonsense. I would like us to win, thank you very much."

The doors crashed opened with a distraught and wide eyed Avitus staring at them with a centaur by his side.

"What's the meaning of this?" Jareth demanded as he stood from the table.

"Devin?" Taggert asked in confusion as he stood up as well. Devin was one of his generals that he left behind in his castle, just in case there were last minute developments from the Seelie Court.

"I rode as fast as I could," Devin said trying to conceal how out of breath he was. "But I had to use magic to arrive here." Proper decorum, be damned, Devin thought. "I received word from Aiden. I tried to get here before it was too late."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Jareth yelled, losing patience.

"Our... spotter..." Avitus sputtered. "The Seelie Army has arrived."


	24. Chapter 24

_But there's gonna be a party  
When the wolf comes home_

* * *

General Nealon stood over the battle plans ensuring he had everything in place before Lieutenant Bryce was to join him. A strong fae with short brown hair, Nealon had been the head general of the Goblin Kingdom for nearly a thousand years. Bryce, conversely, was the longest serving human in the army, almost three hundred years. Jareth always believed that the humans in his army would be apt to follow a fellow human into battle rather than a near immortal. Since the Goblin Kingdom had never been to war, Nealon didn't know whether this was true, but, he always kept a good relationship with Bryce.

Nealon saw boots coming toward him out of his periphery. "That was quick," he said without looking up.

"The centaur army already has everything figured out. The last thing they need is me telling them what to do," Bryce said as he laid his pack on the table.

"And the pixies?"

Bryce rolled his eyes. "They have no use for anyone who isn't their queen. However, they have everything they need."

"I checked in on the dark fae and elves," Nealon said. "They are an… interesting bunch."

"As long as they don't cause mayhem, I'm okay with their eccentric ways," Bryce confessed.

"How are your humans?" Nealon asked.

"Anxious," Bryce said, fidgeting his feet. "But, that is to be expected from them."

"From all of us," Nealon corrected with a level stare.

Suddenly, Meredith appeared in front of him. The dutiful elf had been charged with spotting for them during the day.

"Why have you left your post?" Nealon asked.

"The Seelie Army is approaching," she said as evenly as possible, trying her best to remain calm.

"Are you sure?" Bryce asked. Meredith grabbed them both by the wrist and transported them to the watch tower. She pointed to the horizon.

"Damn," Bryce whispered.

"Get everyone into place! I'll tell Avitus." Nealon said. "We march on His Majesty's orders!"

* * *

"What are you doing?" Oberon asked as he walked into the immense Seelie dining hall.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Titania sneered as she tossed back another glass of elf wine, sitting at the head of the table. Oberon rubbed his hands over his face.

"Is there a reason why you're sitting in here, getting drunk?" he asked. "The sun has not yet risen, yet you are getting smashed like a commoner."

"I'm not getting anything. I'm already there," she slurred out.

"You're acting like a child," Oberon spat out.

"Considering we won't have a child after this, it makes sense that I should take that role," Titania mused.

"What are you talking…?"

"I heard what you said!" she yelled. "I heard your talk with Aiden. How cold can you be to give the order to kill your own progeny?"

Oberon stared at his wife for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Are you now going to lecture me on how to be a good parent? You? Who said a maximum of three words to her a year?" Oberon jeered.

Titania stood up and marched toward Oberon. "Killing her was never the plan! Never the plan!"

"And that is the mark of a good parent?" Oberon asked. "Not killing your child?"

"I never claimed to be a good mother," Titania hissed, the wine giving her the courage to continue. "But as queen I'm supposed to give this Court an heir, and you are planning to have her killed… Behind my back!"

"This is the price we pay for ultimate power, Titania!" Oberon bellowed.

"If this is the price, I would never have paid it!" she yelled back

Titania magically filled her glass and took a swig. "What else have you hid from me?"

"Everything I have told you has been true," Oberon said stepping back from the alcohol smell.

" _Send the girl above, leave her to live and die a mortal life_ ," she mocked. Oberon realized that Titania had overheard the first meeting he had with Aiden since Sarah's return, not the most recent.

"How much did you hear?" he asked.

Titania took a giant gulp of wine from her chalice. She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Everything. You told me you would get her back to the Underground after only a year. A year! You were full of shit then, and you arefull of shit. You think you have this place," she said as she gestured to the castle around her, "Under your control? You have no idea how screwed you really are." Oberon's features contorted in disgusted and confusion.

"What madness are you spewing?" he questioned.

"I knew your hatred of humans would cause you to overlook the most simple of magic," Titania said. "If you were paying attention, you have realized that that governess wasn't dead. It was just a simple spell."

"You?" Oberon said, visibly appalled.

"I don't know when Muiriol will make it to her, but by tomorrow, Sarah will know everything, all your lies," Titania snickered.

"How could you do this?" he asked, panic striking him.

"Sarah has the misfortune of having us as parents- that's her burden to bear," Titania said as she firmly placed her chalice on the table. "But at least she'll know one of us cared enough to not want her dead. It's the least I could do for her."

"You meddlesome fae," Oberon whispered. "You've ruined everything."

"It's only fair," she said as she tottered away from him. "You ruin my life; I ruin yours."

Unexpectedly, a sharp fiery pain emanated from Titania's back. She looked down to see blood spreading through her robin blue dress. A quick twist of the knife in her back dropped her to the floor. She had always heard iron was one of the worst deaths a fae can meet. Now, she knew that to be true. Titania looked up to see Oberon's scowl.

"Enough from you," Oberon said. "Now, I have to clean up your mess." And with that final statement, he walked out of the dining hall. While walking to the throne room, he called out for Aiden. By the time he reached his throne and sat down, Aiden appeared in front of him.

"What now?" Aiden whined. "It's too early for this."

"We need to march on the Goblin Kingdom," Oberon said.

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Yes, we plan to do that tomorrow. Have the past several days left you?"

"Today! Now!" he roared. "Forget propriety. Forget the rules of war. You go to war immediately! Use all the magic you can to win. Is that clear?"

"What's changed?" Aiden asked. It was then that he noticed that Titania was not sitting next to him, something that he was never seen before. "Where's our Queen, Oberon?"

Oberon leaned down, staring Aiden in the face. "Will knowing where she is help you win the war?"

The color drained from Aiden's face. He slowly back away from the throne. "No, Your Majesty. I can rally the troops and we will advance in just a few hours." Without waiting for Oberon's response, Aiden left the throne room.

* * *

"The Goblin city is nearly evacuated. They're fitting comfortably in the Labyrinth tunnels, and the castle staff is making their way to the castle's cellars," Avitus reported as he hurried his stride to keep up with Jareth, Sarah, and Lochlan.

"Yes, I can see that," Jareth sneered as goblins continued to run into him. Even while wearing his full regalia, Jareth didn't deter them from occasionally crashing into him.

They finally made it to Jareth's study as Avitus shut the trio inside, leaving them to their planning. Jareth reached into his drawer and pulled out a large scroll. Sarah and Lochlan joined him around his desk as he opened the document.

"How far away is the Seelie army?" Sarah asked.

"I would say a few hours before they make it to the valley. But for now, they're holding still in position," Lochlan said as he made his way to one of the chairs across from the desk. "Kalin is already on the battlement, and Taggert's army is flanking the outside. He's heading the left side and his head general the right."

"Where's your sluagh?" she asked.

Lochlan pointed to the sky. "I'm keeping them in check," he said.

"From what I could tell, the only thing that has changed is their timing," Lochlan mused. "I think we should continue as planned. It shouldn't be hard for you to take over the sluagh."

Annoyed, Jareth glared at his brother. The plan never said for Jareth to take control of the sluagh. In fact, he had been sure his brother finally put aside this crazy idea.

"Continuing as planned did not include staying back with the sluagh," Jareth said, annoyed, as he began pacing. "You stay on the Labyrinth wall as I manage the ground troops."

"What's the big deal, Jareth?" Sarah wondered. "If you can control the sluagh, then just do it."

"It's not just about control the sluagh. It's about him finally using his Unseelie magic," Lochaln reasoned. "Still trying to hide who you truly are after all these years?" Lochlan caught his brother's eye and gave him a sneer, yet Jareth looked away and said nothing. "Besides, I'm the one with experience. You have no business being out there."

"Worried about me, baby brother?" Jareth asked.

"Would you dare to believe me if I said yes?" Lochlan replied. Suddenly, Avitus barged into the study.

"They're advancing- quickly," Avitus said. "But they are moving by using conventional means, no magic."

"How long before they arrive?" Jareth asked.

"An hour at the most before they make it to the valley," Avitus replied. "The trolls and giants are carrying a supply of large boulders. Our spotter and Kalin agree that the stones look enchanted."

Jareth ran his hands over his face in frustration. The rocks were clearly a late addition by Aiden.

"So they're planning to just throw rocks at our army?" Sarah wondered aloud. "That seems childish."

"No," Jareth slowly answered. "They're attempting to break down my barrier. That's the only reason I can think as to why they would be enchanted."

"Why would they do that?" Sarah asked.

"The Seelie Army clearly has no regard for the rules of war, Your Majesty," Avitus informed him. "If they are willing to use these magic boulders, who knows what else they have planned that we did not know."

"You need to get her out of here," Lochlan said to Jareth as he stood from his seat. "I'm sure they're not just doing this to cause damage to the castle and Labyrinth. Send her away."

"Excuse me. Don't act like I'm not here," Sarah said, affronted. "I agreed to not be in the middle of the fighting, but you can't just send me away."

"Yes, I can," Jareth sighed. He briefly bowed his head before looking up to see Sarah's distraught face. Jareth walked to her and tried to reach out to her, but she swatted his hands away.

"No, I'm not some child to be shipped away," Sarah said as she walked toward the fireplace with Jareth following behind.

"I never said that," he said through clenched teeth. "Stop this. If someone makes it through, they can take you directly to Oberon."

"I can defend myself," Sarah countered.

"Barely. And you risk hurting yourself in the process," Jareth said. "I won't send you there by yourself." He reached out with his left hand and twisted his wrist. Suddenly, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymas, and Muiriol appeared. "Avitus, take Sarah and her friends to Morlake."

"Where is Morlake?" Sarah asked, frustrated yet defeated. He reached up with both hands and caressed her cheeks.

"Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," Jareth whispered.

Avitus cleared his throat and said to the foursome that just arrived, "Let's step outside. I'm sure Their Majesties and Her Highness will call when they need us." They all walked out of the study, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm not making this difficult," Sarah said as she pulled away. "You two are."

"Neither Jareth nor I can risk holding up this barrier while concentrating on the battle at hand," Lochlan said, leaning against the table. "If or _when_ the barrier goes, we will know that whoever gets in won't get to you. The best we can do now is neutralizing anything that may be at risk. And, that includes you."

"I don't want to wait around in some town I've never been in to wait for news, whether it's good or bad," Sarah mumbled.

"Morlake lies halfway between the Northwest and Northeast," Jareth explained. "No one should suspect you being there, and there's a tavern on near the lake. Everything will be provided for you."

Sarah rubbed her hands over her face. As much as she hated the idea of leaving the castle, the last thing she wanted to be was a distraction. This wasn't just about her and Jareth. This wasn't just about what she wanted. Sarah breathed in and exhaled heavily.

"I don't want to go," Sarah said, more tired than a whine. Before Jareth could say anything, she walked over to him and hugged him around the neck. Jareth slowly reached around her, holding her close to him.

"You be safe, okay?" she said, trying to hold back her tears. "I can't lose you now." Sarah leaned back to place a gentle kiss on his lips. She released him and walked slowly over to Lochlan. The Unseelie king was expecting a hard punch but instead Sarah reached around him to give him a hug as well.

"You be safe as well," she said, more resolved than before. Sarah leaned up and whispered in his ear, "Bring him back to me, please."

Lochlan closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh. "Of course," he replied. Sarah released him and walked toward the door. When her hand reached for the door knob, Jareth said, "Sarah…"

"I should go before I decide to not," she said without turning around. Sarah opened the door and her three friends, governess, and Avitus were standing there, worry etched on all their face.

"So, Avitus," Sarah said with faux excitement. "Where's this tavern I've been hearing about?"

"Are you all right, M'lady?" Sir Didymas asked.

"I'll be okay," she said, smiling in reassurance.

* * *

"That was the correct thing to do, Jareth," Lochlan said as he noticed his brother not moving, staring that the door Sarah walked through.

"What did she tell you?" he asked without turning around.

"That doesn't matter."

"What did she say?" Jareth demanded, turning around, his jaw locked in stern determination.

"She told me to protect you," Lochlan confessed. "Which is why you need to control the Host. You have no business being on the field."

Before Jareth could say anything, the door opened with Bryce on the other side.

Without either king acknowledging his presence, Bryce said, "They're using magic. They've already made it to the valley. So far, they're standing still, just waiting. Also, Queen Kalin has a few choice words for you both. In short, she wants you both out there. Her words; not mine."

"Push the humans toward the rear; put the fae and elves up front, both UnSeelie and Seelie. Keep the centaurs flanking the sides," Jareth ordered. "I'll go talk to Kalin." Bryce ran to go fulfill his orders.

"I believe your generals handling of the draugrs and harpies should stay the same," Jareth mused.

"Jareth, I'm only insisting because…"

"I'll take control of the sluagh," he conceded. "But you _protecting_ my life doesn't mean you can be reckless with yours. Promise me this."

"Ah, brother," Lochlan said as he began to fade from view. "I refuse. I won't allow you to take the fun out of this."

* * *

"It's about time," Kalin complained. "Though, I was expecting your brother to be here." Jareth approached her on the battlement of the tower.

"Change of plans," he said as he took off his gloves. Kalin tried not to stare, but her eyes occasionally looked down to see his nails. Seeing Lochlan's hands became common place, even though she never has seen a dark fae before. But seeing Jareth's was a bit jarring.

"Change regarding all the plans or just this?" she asked.

"We just changed part of the formation; We found out that Aiden's using magic," he said.

"Yeah," she gritted out. "I can tell; bloody cheat. So, we're still concentrating my pixies on the dwarves, yes?"

"Yes," he affirmed. "Let's hope they have nothing odd that we don't know about. They'll be too focused on the pixies to fight."

"It's amazing what a little buzzing around your head can do," Kalin said with pride. "Very effective."

"Yes, I know," Jareth said. "Lochlan still curses your subjects after all these years." Kalin spared another glance at his hand as they were now holding on to the tower's stone.

"Am I upsetting you, Kalin?" Jareth asked without looking at her instead gazing out at his troops walking toward the Seelie Army.

Kalin cleared her throat and peered out at the valley as well. "Sorry," she lamented. "I'm sure you hate that. I'm just not used to you without your gloves." Silenced stretch between them as the armies drew closer.

"Scared?" Kalin asked.

"Of combat or using Unseelie magic?" Jareth asked.

"Both," she said.

"I've never seen my people fall in battle before," Jareth said quietly. "I don't believe I could ever be comfortable with that."

"Neither have I," Kalin admitted. "The ten year anniversary of my reign will be this winter. A lot happens in ten years."

"The first ten is always big. I'll be sure we throw you the biggest party," Jareth said with a smile. Kalin tried to smile but her face fell as she gazed out to look at the marching centaur army.

"He'll be fine," Jareth said, knowing who she was staring at. She turned to him and nearly gasped when she saw that his eyes had gone black.

Kalin gathered her composure and looked back at the troops. "Are you just saying that?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked rhetorically, as he lifted his right arm.

Suddenly, a large black haze blotted the sky as Kalin looked up to the Host resting above the castle. As the armies began charging toward each other, Jareth directed the sluagh from the castle into battle.

* * *

"Well, look on the bright side," Hoggle said as he sat down at a table next to Sarah. "Jareth's covering the bill." Sarah let out a snort and tried to cover her laughter.

"I shouldn't be laughing right now," Sarah said.

"And what you gonna do instead?" he countered. "Sit here an' worry?"

"That's kinda what I had planned," she said.

"Well," Hoggle said more somber. "I can't say I don't prefer to be here. Staying in the Labyrinth tunnels was gettin' a bit cramped for my liking."

"M'Lady, we are more than honored to be by your side during this time," Sir Didymas said as he raised his small mug in a salute. "Since His Majesty banned us from battle, this is the least we could do. However, I'm most sure that my skills would be better used on the battlefield."

The tavern was empty, but the elderly fae who owned the establishment kept it open. "Just in case anyone needs to come in and forget what is happening at the castle," he said when he poured everyone their drinks. "Not many people left in town though."

Those who were left behind were elderly, children, or those who cared for them; even those who were not in the army decided to volunteer in some capacity.

"I need some fresh air," Sarah said as she stood from the table. She walked out the front of the tavern and walked around the lake that the tavern bordered. Jareth was right. The lake was beautiful and tranquil. Sarah found a large rock to sit on and decided to try to clear her mind while sitting in silence.

"Sarah?" came Miuriol's voice from behind her. Sarah turned around and gave her former governess a small smile.

"I'm sorry I haven't been real sociable lately," she said. "I feel bad about that."

"The last person who should be apologizin' is you," Muiriol said as she stood in front of her. "I have should be doing the sorrys around here."

"I've been debatin' whether to give this to ya," Muiriol said as she produced a seal paper from her clothing. "She told me to give it to ya on the day of the battle. I thought about burnin' it considerin' all the nonsense she and your father put ya through…"

"Whoa. Whoa. What are you talking about?" Sarah said, confused.

"Here," Muiriol said while handing over the letter. "Tis from your mother. As you can tell, I didn't read it. I don't know what she has to tell you. But I made her a promise, and I keep my promises." And with that said, Muiriol walked back toward the tavern leaving Sarah with the strange missive. She wasn't even sure her mother had ever written to her before now.

For what seemed like the longest time, Sarah held the unopened letter in her hand, examining the paper and her mother's seal. Taking a deep a breath, Sarah tore through the seal and read the contents.

_Sarah-_

_Of all the times to finally write to you, it must be under these circumstances. I'm not asking for forgiveness from you. It's not in me to ask, and I expect nothing but your scorn and contempt. By the time you have received this letter, I'm sure Muiriol will have told you everything. But, I promised her to give this to you right before the mêlée commences lest I cause more trouble than is already taking place._

_For what it is worth to you, I never meant for this to happen. Most of it, anyway. I'll admit that I care for power more than I care for you. However, I never would have agreed to this if it meant your life. Perhaps my objections would have meant nothing and this still would be occurring. I may be cold, but I'm not completely heartless. I didn't want it to go this way: Another war; you gone; the Court in disarray. At times, I would be angry with you. Why could you just not be the quiet princess that we expected? I know Kiernan can be odious, but he is a crown prince after all. You must come to realize that love in a royal marriage is considered a novelty not a requirement._

_I do not know how this will end. Nevertheless, I do not see a situation in which we are standing together again, side by side, which is probably for the best. I hope to the Fates that you survive this. Yet know that Oberon does not look down on you so kindly. If you come face to face with him, know this: Do not trust him. I trusted him to the detriment of you and me and this Court as we are now being thrown into another Great War._

_And if all works well for you, and you too become a mother, may you be able to show the child the care and love that was never afforded you._

_Oh, how much a mess we are all in. Yet again, I am not one to ask for forgiveness, but you are at least entitled to an apology. So, I'm sorry, Sarah. For everything. Keep yourself and everyone you care for safe._

_Titania_

Sarah walked into the tavern with more purpose than anyone had seen in a while. She stood in front of Avitus, who was sitting down and drinking a pint.

"Send me to the Seelie Palace," Sarah ordered. Avitus placed his mug down and gave her a curious glance.

"Even if I was to consider such a ridiculous proposition, why would you have any reason to go there, especially now?" Avitus asked. "Has the ale gone to your head?"

Sarah handed the letter to Avitus, and he warily looked at her as he took the paper and read it. He read the letter several times before handing it back to Sarah.

"This is a lovely, albeit unusual, sentimental note," Avitus said. "I actually can't believe she wrote it. But that doesn't mean I will take you there."

"Fine," Sarah shrugged before turning on her heels and walking out the door. Everyone at the table looked at each other before running after her.

"Where are you going?" Avitus called after her. Sarah turned around, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"I'm going to the Palace," Sarah answered.

"You must be out yer mind," Muiriol protested.

"I'm not just going to sit here."

"Going to the Palace isn't what Titania would want ya to do," Muiriol said.

"She didn't say what she wanted me to do," Sarah said. "She was lied to…"

"In part," Avitus interrupted. "Have you forgotten the part where she admitted to using you?"

Sarah covered her face with her hands in frustration.

"But she's my mother," Sarah protested as she dropped her hands in frustration.

"And your father wants you dead," Avitus said sternly. "Let's not pretend that familiar relationships matter here."

"It matters to me! Okay?" she said admittedly. "If I go there now, I can find her, and we can stop Oberon before people have to die."

"I'm sure by now the battle has commenced," Avitus said.

"I'm going there. The question is whether you are sending me there or I have to transport myself," Sarah said.

"You only started moving things two days ago," Avitus disputed. "And that was a small rock in the garden and only three feet. You could harm yourself if you try moving yourself."

The determined look on Sarah's face didn't waiver, causing Avitus to breath out a frustrated sigh.

"The rest of you back to the tavern," he said. Avitus grabbed Muiriol by the arm before she left. "If things go wrong, tell His Majesty that I'm so sorry." With a solemn nod, Muiriol left for the tavern.

"You are a trouble-maker; you realize that, don't you?" Avitus said.

"Just drop me off and you can return back here," Sarah said.

"Oh no, I'm not," Avitus said, affronted. "I'm not just going to leave you alone in there. We're in this muck together." Sarah gave him a small smile.

"How can you take us there if you have never been there?" Sarah asked.

"Who said I've never been there?" he asked. "I doubt the various rooms have been upended."

"The living quarters are in the North Wing," she informed him. "Ever been there?"

"I went snooping around the kitchens there as well as the dining hall," Avitus replied. "I can take us there easily."

"Then let's go," Sarah said.


	25. Chapter 25

_I never lost control_  
_You're face to face_  
_With The Man Who Sold The World_

* * *

"It's really quiet," Sarah mused. Conducting a quick survey of where they were, she realized that they were outside the kitchens. "This area is usually loud and busy all day."

Avitus seemed less concerned with the noiseless halls. "Many are off to fight in battle or to assist in some way," he shrugged. "I assume there are not many people to cook for. So where to?"

"I don't know," Sarah admitted. "I didn't really think that through."

Avitus rolled his eyes. "Really?" he mocked. "I'm so shocked that you haven't thought this completely through."

Sarah lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"Is the throne room still in the South Wing?" Avitus asked.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, we should go to the western part of the palace," she said as she started walking.

"And why is that?" Avitus asked, trying to catch up with her.

"My parents took over that entire wing a few decades ago," she explained. "One or both of them should be there."

That last word nearly died on Sarah's lips at the sight of red smeared along the castle's marble floors.

"Oh my god," Sarah choked out. She started to follow the trail when Avitus's arm reached out to halt her steps.

"You don't see blood on the floor and then barge forward," he hissed. "Stay behind me." Sarah apprehensively nodded as she waited to follow him. They tracked the blood all the way to western wing when they noticed that the blood ended, but there was no body.

"Where'd they go?" Sarah wondered aloud; panic lacing her voice, as she moved around the alcove, searching for any clues. "How'd they get out of here?"

Avitus was kneeling over the spot and arrived at the only conclusion. "Seems whoever this is had enough strength to magically go somewhere else," he stated. "This is a lot of blood. But I believe it's from only one person. I'm guessing either your father or mother."

"I realize that!" she hissed. Sarah brought her fingers to her temples, attempting to massage the pain away. "Sorry. You're only helping." Then, Sarah ran down the hall turning right. Avitus scrambled to his feet, jogging after her. They came to the foot of the grand stairs. Sarah began climbing when Avitus grabbed her by the wrist.

"Where are you going?" he whispered.

"Someone is dying, and that someone is up there," she explained as she pointed to the double doors at the top of the stairs.

"You don't want to do that, Sarah," Avitus said, shaking his head.

"I didn't come here to play in my room," she said as she snatched her arm away. "You can stay here and keep watch."

As he watched her climb the stairs, Avitus stood watch at the bottom. "Oh, Fates, help us all."

When Sarah came to the door, she rested her hand on the knob. Sarah breathed a shaky breath before she heard a small voice come from inside.

"Open the door, Sarah," came the voice, weak, yet determined to sound as strong as possible. Sarah opened the door to see that the room was dark, the curtains pulled shut.

To her left, against the wall was a large bed, and in that bed, the Queen of the Seelie laid prone.

"How did you know it was me," Sarah asked as she stood in the doorway.

"Oberon marches up those stairs like a troll," she explained. "That king has no grace."

Sarah continued to stand in threshold, not moving.

"Shut the door; you're letting the light in," she order as she weakly waived her hand. "Even now, you have to be so dramatic." Titania let out a wet heavy cough. "It will serve you well in the future."

Sarah rushed to her mother's side. Although Titania demanded no light, Sarah could still see what has happened to her. She lay on the bed, gaunt and pale, with black lines etched across her skin and blood stained linens surrounding her body.

"What happened to you?" Sarah whispered. Titania pointed a shaky finger to the chair in the corner.

"Sit down," she ordered. Sarah grabbed the chair and brought it over to the bed.

"You're not supposed to be here, Princess," Titania said before releasing another retching cough.

"I couldn't just stay away after reading your letter," Sarah reasoned. "I had to do something."

"When I said to keep yourself safe, that means the last place you should be is here," Titania chastised. "He's going to murder you."

"No, he's not," Sarah rebuked.

"So sure of yourself, are you?" Titania replied. "Seems to be a personality defect of our family. Must be hereditary."

"Did he do this to you?" Sarah asked. "Is this the result of iron?"

"Iron's a bitch. Don't ever forget that. I never thought he'd kill me," Titania said with a smirk. "Everyone is disposable to him."

"Have you gone to a healer? We can still get you help," Sarah said as she began to stand up.

"It's over, Sarah, for me," Titania said as she feebly gripped Sarah's shirt. "Oh, and I do wish you would not wear men's clothing."

Sarah sat down and realized that her mother was referring to her jeans. Even when she was dying, Titania had to criticize her daughter's clothes. Sarah let out a sad chuckle.

"I don't deserve to have my last moments be with you, but I'm glad the Fates granted it to me," Titania confessed. "I'll be damned if I died in that dining hall. I at least want to be comfortable. I do love this bed." A moment of silence stretched between them.

"Since you have a habit of not listening to anyone," Titania said, her voice becoming frailer than before. "I'll have you know that Oberon is in the throne room."

"How do you know?"

"I just do," Titania answered. "In case you forgot, various weapons decorate the walls, some are iron. Do be careful." Sarah grasped her mother's hand, trying to hold back tears.

"Are you ready?" Sarah asked.

"To go to the Fade? No," Titania softly chuckled. "Why do you think I'm still here? I wanted it all, yet in the end, I obtained nothing." She released a volley of coughs before she pointed to the curio desk across the room. "When all this is over, I have some papers in there that will be of use to you. You'll know what to do with them when the time comes."

Titania released her hand from Sarah's and gazed up at the ceiling. "You should go. Stop delaying whatever the inevitable may be."

"Goodbye, mother," Sarah said as she placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Goodbye, Sarah," Titania whispered without looking at her.

When Sarah closed the chamber doors behind her, she let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. She leaned against the door and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. With one final sniffle, Sarah set her shoulders straight with determination and resolve that would hopefully carry her to the throne room. As Sarah made her way down the stairs, she searched for Avitus but didn't see him waiting. How could she not see him? The fae had purple hair for goodness sakes.

"Avitus," Sarah hissed. "Where are you?"

Avitus slowly made his way around the corner, but he was not alone. A fae guard held a carefully placed knife at his throat; two more guards flanked him.

"My apologies, Princess," Avitus carefully said. "It seems we've been had."

"His Majesty requests your audience," said the burly fae holding the knife.

* * *

"Bloody bastard!" Lochlan yelled as his potential kill was swept away by a sluagh yet again. If Jareth didn't let him have his fun, he was going to go up there to tackle his fun sucking brother. Wars don't just happen every day. Why do big brothers have to ruin everything? Lochlan grabbed Nealon by the collar and dragged him behind the ranks.

"Have any ideas on how to stop that?" Lochlan asked as he pointed with his sword at the trolls loading the boulders onto a catapult.

"No," Nealon gasped out.

"Find my general, Varden, and tell him to focus the harpies on the trolls and giants," Lochlan ordered.

"But the orb—"

"Forget the orb!" Lochlan yelled above the chaos. "Go find Varden!"

Nealon fell back further into the ranks, trying to fulfill the Unseelie king's orders. Lochlan had his reasons as to why he gave those orders, all of them justifiable in his mind. Although he never admitted it, the idea of one of those boulders being able to cause harm to the maze and castle his mother built made him furious. Yes, they could easily rebuild it all, but he be damned if he allowed it to come down without much of a fight. He would be remiss if he didn't want to have the battle rage on for a little bit longer. Oh, how he loved the thrill of battle.

"What is he doing?" Kalin called out. She was the first to notice the harpies move from the back of the battlefield, where Aiden had been hiding, to the sides where the trolls and giants were located.

"Idiot," Jareth gritted out to himself as he brought the entire Host back to the top of the castle. He started to walk away when Kalin stopped him.

"Now where are you going?" Kalin asked. "I'm going to start freaking out if everyone keeps changing things!"

"Continue your focus on the dwarves," Jareth ordered as he walked away. "Don't worry about anything else."

"Stupid brothers," Kalin muttered to herself.

* * *

Sarah and Avitus quickly made their way toward the throne room. They were only walking quickly thanks to the swords at their backs. When they made it to the doors, a wave of nostalgia hit her. Although not a lot of time passed since she last stood in front of these doors, a lot had happened. One of the guards approached the door and knocked once.

"Enter," a deep voice ordered. The doors opened, and the pair was forced inside. Oberon sat in front of them, alone, on the dais. Whatever he was thinking, he was not wearing it on his face. When they finally came to the bottom of the dais, Oberon shooed the guards away.

"But Your Majesty…"one of the guards objected.

"Leave. Now," Oberon ordered. The guards quickly left and shut the doors behind them, leaving only three of them in the throne room.

"How's your mother?" Oberon asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"Dead," Sarah spat. "Are you happy now?"

"Yes, actually," he replied. "That fae has been a sore in my side for centuries now." Oberon turned his sights to the fae next to her.

"Avitus? Had enough of mending clothes?" Oberon asked. "Rather chaperone troublesome princesses?"

"Remember me, do you?" Avitus asked, holding his head high. "I thought you murder so many people that you wouldn't be able to recall them all."

"I will always remember the death of a witch," Oberon sneered. "Wretched creatures. You should be thanking me for unloading you of that burden. Imagine if you had spawn together."

Sarah noticed Avitus slowly turn and lower his head to the side.

"You're a disgusting, horrid excuse for a king," Sarah said. "All you've ever done is leave death and heartache in your wake."

Oberon snorted. "Since when did you become so poetic? That's a brilliant piece of prose."

"Do you even know how to rule? Or do you just kill those who annoy you?" Sarah asked, ignoring his snide remarks. "You killed your own wife, his wife, and countless others in the guise of war. Is it true that you killed Jareth and Lochlan's father?" That particular accusation hit a nerve as Oberon left his throne to tower over Sarah.

"Faolan had no business being with that _thing_ ," Oberon hissed in her face. "Of course, Unseelie have no sense of what is appropriate and what is not, but Faolan knew better. He got what he deserved. I should have destroyed them all, but no, Aiden said that would be cruel to kill children or leave them orphans. Imagine if I did do away with those half breeds and their whore mother; we wouldn't be in this predicament. And, you would have had no one to run to."

Sarah swung at Oberon but he ducked out of the way and struck Sarah down to the ground. Avitus charged at the king but was knocked clear against the wall by magic. Sarah lay on her side on the ground and noticed that he wasn't moving.

"Avitus!"

* * *

"You twit!" Lochlan yelled as his blade went through an elf's torso. "I told you to stay at the castle."

As his sword left the side of his opponent, Jareth joined his brother, back to back.

"You decided to change the plans, and so have I," Jareth called out.

"Please don't tell me you shoved my Host into a crystal!" Lochlan yelled.

"All right," Jareth shouted. "I won't tell you then." Lochlan let out an irritated grunt as he brought down a fae who nearly took out one of his men. He turned around and saw Jareth swiftly decapitating an adversary. Noticing Jareth covered in blood, Lochlan was sure he saw a small smile cross his brother's face.

"Having fun?" Lochlan bellowed.

"Don't tell Sarah," Jareth smirked as he turned to clash swords with another fae.

* * *

Sarah sat on the throne room floor, staring at Avitus's unresponsive body.

"Is he dead?" she asked softly.

"Have no idea," Oberon answered as he grabbed her by the arm and dragged Sarah to her feet. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes! You idiot! It all matters," Sarah screamed as she snatched her arm away. She began breathing heavily and ignoring the fact that she was starting to feel warm. "People outside of you matter!"

"Sarah, Sarah," he chided as he gently stroked her face. "That's too much humanity for a fae."

"Are you going to kill me?" Sarah asked, unafraid.

"Now that all depends on you, really," Oberon said as he began to circle her.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"No more lies here," he admitted. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't planning to get rid of you and that mouth of yours once and for all." Sarah let out an irritated growl but said nothing. Oberon stopped his pacing and lifted her chin to look at him in the eyes.

"You still have use to Kiernan," he said. "You were promised to him and to him you shall go, but first, you'll need to relinquish that magic of yours. How about we make a deal? Agree to this and I'll send word immediately to Aiden to have Jareth and his brother spared. See how accommodating I can be? I have no reason to offer you this deal and yet here we are."

Sarah closed her eyes and thought about the proposal he offered. To Oberon, she looked as though was mulling over his deal. He was quiet proud of himself that he was able to trick Sarah into giving up her magic. When she went to Kiernan, Sarah would finally be out of his hair. Hell, he'd even build them their own castle somewhere.

"No," Sarah said evenly as she back away from him. "You can take your deal and all the bullshit you believe and go fuck yourself."

"You little chit," Oberon spat as he formed a crystal. However, Sarah threw one first, causing him to fly towards the wall, crashing against it.

Avitus slowly raised his head as he saw Sarah knock the king against the opposite wall. When he noticed her marching toward the monarch, he tried to call out to her but found himself too weak.

Sarah dropped down on Oberon and pinned him to the floor, her hands around his neck.

"Soon, everyone will know what a monster you are," She hissed as she continued to put pressure on his neck.

Without warning, Sarah found herself flying through the air and hitting the floor. She was still conscious but barely. Moaning in pain, she brought her hand up to check her head for blood yet found none. Sarah looked up to see Oberon standing over her, frowning.

"I'm sure that genetic atrocity over there in that castle taught you how to use your magic," Oberon sneered. "When you see him in the Fade, tell him that he should have told you the importance of disarming a fae's hands."

Oberon moved out of the way to reveal a sword falling down toward her. She mustered as much strength as she had to roll out of the way. The sword planted itself next to her, cracking the marble. Oberon turned to see Sarah avoid the blade, but before he could react an earthquake resonated throughout the Palace.

Avitus managed to pull himself up to a sitting. He still couldn't call out to Sarah, but he saw her narrowly avoid being killed. She was lying face down next to the sword with her hair blocking her face, but he could tell she was still breathing. Suddenly, the ground trembled.

"Oh dear," Avitus whispered.

* * *

Jareth grabbed Lochlan from the midst of battle and transported them to a medic tent set up near the Labyrinth walls.

"Argh! You ruin all the enjoyable things in life," Lochlan protested.

"Focus on what's really important, and it's not your entertainment. Stop acting childish," Jareth snapped. "You called off your harpies. So how are we getting to Aiden?"

"The two I sent over to him were shot down by arrows," Lochlan mused. "I don't want to risk losing anymore if I can have them messing with the trolls without getting themselves killed."

"So far the barrier is holding," Jareth noticed as he returned his sword to its sheath.

"I actually have a plan," Lochlan said. "But I'll need you to control the sluagh again." Jareth reached under his armor to reveal a small crystal.

Lochal was outrage. "You placed my sluagh in that tiny crystal? At least place them in larger one. They deserve better."

"What's your plan?" Jareth asked, ignoring his brother's outburst.

"I'll need you on the Labyrinth wall using the Host to help cover my back as I make my way toward finding Aiden."

"And you will be covering your front?" Jareth asked.

Lochlan waved his hand and nearly seven foot tall draugr stood in front of them. Jareth covered his nose with his hand. With exposed rotting flesh and bones, those undead creatures never smelled the best. How Lochlan could be around them, he would never know. Yet with its large battle axe and shield, the draugr would provide more than enough cover for its king. Lochlan looked to his side and noticed Jareth was no longer there. He looked up to see his brother on the Labyrinth walls, unleashing the Host from its crystal.

"Looks like he's hiding behind the archers," Jareth called out. "Our left. His son is there as well doing absolutely nothing."

"All right, you beast," Lochlan said to the draugr. "Let's move."

As Lochlan made his way deep into enemy territory, he couldn't help but inwardly shake his head in disappointment. All Jareth was using the sluagh for was to push the Seelie Army aside. What they really wanted to do was shred everyone apart. But no, Jareth had to have a conscience. An arrow in his side disrupted Lochlan's inner reflecting.

"Bloody hell!" Lochlan cried out as he broke off the fletching while keeping the arrowhead embedded in his flesh. The draugr briefly stopped its onslaught to look back at him. "Keep going," he yelled back, as he continued to follow behind. "At least, it's not iron."

Soon, the sluagh spread out, trapping Lochlan and his draugr in a circle along with Aiden and his son Kiernan. The concentrated sound of beating wings and their sickly howl was almost deafening to the Elf king and his son.

"You," Lochlan barked, pointing his sword at the Elf king. "You have gotten us all in a lot of trouble. First, I'm bleeding, and I _hate_ bleeding."

Aiden and Kiernan backed into each other, ignoring Lochlan and focusing instead on the deadly Host surrounding them.

"Please don't kill us," Kiernan pleaded. "We're of no use to you dead."

"You have no idea in what state I have use for you," Lochlan sneered. He noticed the large pack slung around Aiden's chest. "Give me the bag; Give me the orb."

Aiden was taken off guard. "How did you know about that?"

"I'm not a patient fae," Lochlan proclaimed. "I'm not one to repeat myself."

Aiden's hand hesitated around the strap.

"Father, just give it to him," Kiernan said. "If you don't, he'll kill us and still get the orb."

"Smart kid," Lochlan said with a smile. "All those who call you a fool are wrong."

"Thank you," Kiernan said. "Wait… Who says that about me?"

"Here," Aiden said as he tossed the bag on the ground.

"Call off your troops," Lochlan ordered.

Aiden let out nervous chuckle. "So that you can just slaughter them? I never intended to send them all to their deaths."

"Lucky for you, I'm not the one in charge here, and my brother is more forgiving than I am," Lochlan stated. "Otherwise, yes, you would have a slaughter on your hands. Call them off!"

Aiden formed a crystal and spoke into it. Moments later, loud horns rang out across the battlefield and the Seelie troops began their retreat from the valley as did the sluagh to the castle.

"Hey!" Kiernan protested.

"Back off," Lochlan snarled, pointing his sword at the young fae. "Or I'll drop you were you stand."

"You promised not to kill me," Aiden sobbed as he was being dragged out into the middle of the field. Kiernan quietly followed his father.

"No," Lochlan said. "Your foolish progeny said that."

* * *

"Pull back," Taggert yelled as he sheathed his sword across his back. "Everyone, move back to the maze!" Taggert reached down to grab a wounded soldier and place him over his shoulder. He didn't believe he had the strength to add another body across his back. Three was just too much.

"What if this is a trap?" a centaur soldier asked as he too gently hoisted a wounded soldier across his back.

"They're moving all the way back toward hills," Taggert explained as he marched onward. "And I doubt Aiden being dragged into the field is any trickery on his part."

The centaur soldier turned to the field to see what his king was referring to.

"What the hell?" he asked.

"That's always a good question to ask when Lochlan is involved," he quipped.

Taggert made his way to the first tent he came across. Luckily for him, it was a medic tent. As he discharged the last human, he heard his name ringing through the camp.

"Taggert?"

The centaur king smiled to himself as he back out of the tent, searching for the voice that called for him.

"Taggert!" Kalin yelled as she ran toward him. She nearly tackled him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you injured?" She asked without releasing him.

"I am now," he chuckled. Kalin noticed that several individuals were taking in the spectacle that she caused. She cleared her throat and back away from him.

"I mean, I'm glad that you remained unharmed and are in good spirits," she stated with her trademark queenly speech. Taggert let out a loud laugh and grabbed her hand to lead her away from the small crowd.

"Miss me?" he asked when they finally stopped behind the camp. Taggert gently grabbed her around the waist, quickly lifting her in the air before placing her back on the ground.

"I couldn't look for you because you were at the opposite side of the field," she said, slow tears falling down her face. "I just had to keep hoping that you'd be okay."

"Oh, _Amhuirnín_ ," Taggert sighed, more than touched by his ice queen's concerns. "When is the last time you even cried?"

Kalin stepped back and wiped the tears from her face. She looked up at the sky, pondering the question.

"On my thirteenth birthday, when I was presented to Court for the first time," she replied in earnest. "I noticed that the color arrangement was magenta. But I told mother that I wanted violet. I was adamant about this, yet she never listened to me. The results were so repulsive."

Taggert stared at Kalin for a moment and then blinked twice. He let out a hearty laugh as he hugged her tightly.

"Oh, that's understandable," he said, still laughing. "Brings tears to one's eyes."

* * *

Jareth left the Labyrinth's wall and called for his troops to make a retreat as well as he made his way to his brother.

When Lochlan and Aiden made their way to what previously was the middle of the battlefield, bodies both Seelie and Unseelie were scattered along the ground. Lochlan pushed Aiden to the dirt.

"Lochlan!" Jareth called out as he made his way to his brother. "What are you doing? You're not killing him."

"Again with the ruining of my fun," Lochlan groaned. "I have no intentions to kill him… yet. No one will believe us. The explanation must come from his mouth."

Lochlan produce a crystal and shoved it against Aiden's throat, melting into his skin. King Rhys, King Cillian, and Prince Brennus started to make their way down to the valley to aid their fellow ruler. But, Aiden waived them away. Although confused by his actions, the monarchs returned to their retreated positions.

"Explain yourself to your Court," Lochlan sneered.

"Father, don't," Kiernan protested. "We'll be kicked off the throne." So far, the elf prince had gone unnoticed by Jareth but no longer.

"Why are you here?" Jareth sneered as he advanced and pressed his sword against the Prince's chest.

Kiernan quickly unhooked his sword and threw it on the ground and held his hands up in surrender.

"I have no quarrel with you, Goblin King," Kiernan said as he backed up, but Jareth continued his advance.

"Your whole life has been a fight against me," Jareth spat. "First, your father and now you. I'd advise you keep that snake tongue of yours silent while I still feel like sparing your life."

"I don't know what you speak of," Kiernan quickly said. "I never meant to take anything from you."

"I suggest you stop talking," Lochlan called out. "Fun fact: he does not care for you."

"Sit down," Jareth order to the elf prince. "And no more chattering from you. One more word and I'll slit your throat."

Lochlan knelt down, sword still against Aiden's throat.

"This dance is over, _Your Majesty_. Your audience is waiting," Lochlan said as he nodded to the confused standing Seelie Army. "Time to come clean, you little rat."

* * *

Sarah brought her hand up and felt blood dripping from her head as she moved to sit on her heels. Various items were falling to the floor around the throne room.

"Damn you, Oberon," Sarah muttered, her head bent, staring at her blood dropping to the ground.

The king, barely keeping himself upright due to the unsteady floors, turned to regard Sarah, still kneeling on the floor. Her head snapped up, revealing her eyes had turned completely red. Oberon lost his footing, falling backward, but quickly scrambled to his feet. Sarah reached out her hand toward the main doors and magic locked them.

"You have no idea how pissed off I am right now," she snarled as she flicked her wrist to produce not a crystal but a ball of fire. Sarah threw the fire at him, and he tried to block it with his own magic but failed.

"Argh!" he cried out in pain. Sarah continued to march toward him as he walked backward. Oberon produced a crystal and threw it at her. She swept his crystal away with a blaze of fire emanating from her arm as she moved it through the air. Oberon's eyes went wide when he realized that not only were her eyes red, but her skin started to glow red as well.

"Now, Sarah," Oberon said as he ran his back into a wall. "Consider what you are doing. Do you really want to do this? I am your father—" His words were cut off by Sarah's hand to his throat. Her hand felt like pure fire against his throat.

"You don't get to call yourself father," she spat. "A father cares for his children, would die for them. You are no more than the scum on the bottom of my shoe." Sarah released him as he slumped against the wall, rubbing his neck.

Sarah was burning up. She had never felt this way before. Even the most horrible fever could not compare to how she burned from head to toe. She needed to control her emotions, ground herself as Jareth would tell her.

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

Her eyes returned to their normal jade as she turned to Oberon, still concerned over his neck. The Palace stopped shaking. Sarah's eyes began to water. She felt no emotions over this fae who only called himself father to further his agenda, but she couldn't bring herself to do him in.

"I can't kill you," she said, backing away from him. "I'm sure when Jareth gets here he'll have no problem doing it. Definitely Lochlan. But, I just can't. Consider that my gift to you."

"How grateful I should be," Oberon said as he finally stood firmly on his feet, "That I have a daughter like you."

The sword that was wedged in the marble struck Sarah in the side. She let out a gasp when she looked down at her side and then at Oberon.

"How many times do I have to tell you," he said as he stalked toward her. "Never allow a fae's hand to go unnoticed." Sarah released the sword from her side and dropped it to the floor. The Palace began to shake, more violently than before. Her eyes glowed red again.

"And you," she laughed mockingly, "Must learn to distinguish between blades that are iron and those which are not." She reached out and summoned another sword to her hand and then plunged the blade into Oberon's torso.

"This is iron, "she hissed. Oberon went wide with shock as he realized that he had been pierced with the deadly blade. He dropped to the floor.

"Enough from you," Sarah said as she reached out and snatched the circlet from his head. Unexpectedly, a sharp pain radiated throughout her body, causing her to drop to the ground.

Avitus knew he was basically useless but tried to crawl over to Sarah who was now kneeling on the floor, crying in pain. Unfortunately for him, he was clear across the other side of the room. When he finally found the little strength he had to pull himself on his forearms, he saw that Sarah had collapsed onto her side, and she wasn't moving.

"Sarah!" he cried out as loud as he could. "No, Sarah! Wake up, child." He kept crawling and still nothing from Sarah. Avitus finally made it over to her and rolled her over to her back. She still clutched Oberon's circlet.

"You can't be gone with that death grip," he stated while gently slapping her face, still finding her skin unnaturally hot. "Wake up, Sarah!" Avitus tried shaking her yet jumped back, because he nearly burned his fingers touching her.

"Damn," Avitus whispered. As he examined his fingers, he noticed Sarah transforming. A squall of fire engulfed her, and through the flames, he could see her body shifting. Arms changed into wings with plumes in vibrant red and orange. The twister disappeared and a grand bird raised its wings over its head and released a loud cry.

Avitus let out a chuckle. "A phoenix. How magnificent," he remarked. Sarah approached him and touched her beak to his shoulder. Then, she backed away from him screeching in pain.

"Sarah? What's happening?" Avitus asked. Sarah shook her head, licks of fire sloughing off her body like water off a duck's back. She reached down to snatch the circlet by her feet and screeched at Avitus before taking flight out of one of the throne room window.

* * *

The entire Seelie army dropped their arms after hearing all that Aiden had to say, most of them too numb to act on what they heard.

"Satisfied now?" Aiden sneered.

"Not quite," Jareth said. He walked over to Aiden's bag and uncovered the orb within it. Jareth lifted it up and peered inside it. The orb was very inconspicuous. No one would know that it was syphoning off the dead's magic. He dropped it on the ground, shattering it into pieces.

"Damn fool," Kiernan whispered. Jareth drew his sword and marched at the sitting fae.

"Is there a reason why you would think I wouldn't keep my promise?" he sneered. "Or do you believe that I'm hard of hearing?"

"Jareth!" Lochlan yelled.

"What!" he barked, not taking his eyes of Kiernan.

"There's a large bird in the sky," Lochlan replied. "And it's coming straight for us."

"What?" Jareth asked again, more confused than upset. "A bird?"

Lochlan grabbed his brother, trying to move them away from the field.

"Are you just going to leave those two there?" Jareth said as he ran with his brother.

"Not my problem now," Lochlan said as they came to a halt. It soon descended and landed between Kiernan and Aiden. The feathers and wings melted away to reveal Sarah, still glowing red with a vortex of fire surrounding her.

"Sarah?" Jareth whispered as he began to walk toward her, but Lochlan held him back.

"Wait," Lochlan said. "Just wait a moment."

Aiden and Kiernan were caught up in the small twister, the embers licking their clothes and skin.

"Sarah! Please," Kiernan pleaded. "I never meant to bring you harm. You must believe me."

"You two are a plague on the Underground," Sarah said in an unnaturally calm tone. "And like any infection, the sources must be removed."

Sarah reached both her hands out and they both became more transparent until they completely disappeared. Jareth finally freed himself from his brother's grasp. When he began to move toward her, Sarah dropped to her knees in pain as the inferno around her fanned out, causing Jareth and Lochlan to be knocked back to the ground. The embers retreated and circled around her faster and faster.

"Sarah!" Jareth yelled. She barely got to her knees and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jareth," Sarah moaned, clutching her side. "I should have listened to you." Jareth rose to his feet and walked toward her.

"No!" she warned. "Stop! You can't come closer."

"What did you do to them, Sarah?" Lochlan asked.

"The place they would hate the most: Aboveground without magic," she said with a small smile. "They'll live longer that way." Jareth refused to heed her warning as he walked closer to her.

"Jareth, stop it," she said, crawling away from him.

"You just need to be grounded again, Precious," Jareth said, trying to reassure her.

"I'm passed that," Sarah said as she finally stood up. "If you come any closer, my magic will kill you."

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Because it's killing me," she cried as the gust around her swirled faster. "I might have let my emotion get the better of me." She reached behind her and produced Oberon's circlet, dropping it on the ground.

Jareth looked down at the crown and then back at her.

"Oh, Sarah," Jareth sighed, remorse in his eyes.

"I didn't want to, but he gave me no choice," she explained. "Make sure you tell the Court that, okay? I didn't want to kill him. Well, maybe a little. Just a little."

"You'll tell them yourself when you get back to the Palace," he said through clenched teeth. Sarah then dropped to her knees in pain, but this time she didn't feel like getting back up. Jareth rushed toward her but was pulled back by Lochlan.

"Release me!" Jareth ordered as he tried to wrestle away from his brother.

"There's no point in losing the both of you," Lochlan snapped.

"Jareth, don't fight your brother," Sarah said, her voice growing faint. "He's right. Just stay away. I should have listened and stayed put, but I didn't and you shouldn't have to suffer the consequences. I love you, Jareth. Remember that, okay?" Sarah then slumped to her side, groaning in pain.

"Let her go, Jareth," Lochlan muttered in his ear.

"There has to be another way," Jareth said as he violently pushed his brother away with magic. He turned and ran toward Sarah where she had collapsed on the ground. She looked up to see him quickly approaching her.

"Jareth, don't!" She croaked out.

Lochlan scrambled to his feet to see the fleeting glimpse of his brother running into the conflagration. Suddenly, the flames that once surrounded Sarah swallowed the couple and imploded around them, sending Lochlan flying through the air again. He landed several feet in front of his troops. What lay before him was a giant crater. His eyes frantically searched for his brother and Sarah.

"NO!"


	26. Chapter 26

_If I lose everything in the fire  
I'm sending all my love to you_

* * *

Sarah felt as though she was lying prostrate, comfortable yet not lifeless.

_I can't be dead. Right?_ She thought, a little panic stricken.

Darkness.

That's all she could see.

_Shouldn't I be able to see something if I'm dead_ , she thought. _If all of eternity spent walking around in the dark?_

Then, it occurred to her that her eyes were closed.

_Oh god. They won't open._

Opening her eyes shouldn't be this hard, yet it was. Although her eyes felt like they were sealed shut, they didn't feel heavy or encumbered by any outside force.

A large gust of air filled her lungs as her eyes flew open.

Limestone.

Sitting up, she realized that she was in her bedroom, clothed in one of her nightgowns with the covers pooling around her lap. Sarah was in her bedroom. She was alive in her bedroom.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered if everything that she believed to be real was just a dream. Although she has always had an active imagination, her dreams had never been that detailed. The notion that everything had been anything more than mind games fell away when she turned to her right and realized that Jareth was lying next to her. Shirtless and on his back, he looked like he was sleeping which was odd because he was always awake before her.

By now, he should be pacing the room, complaining that she sleeps too long. She may not know how she survived or how he brought her to her bedroom, but she was beyond thrilled that he was here with her.

Sarah leaned over to gently shake his shoulders, trying to wake him.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered, smiling, knowing that she finally gets to wake him up.

However, he didn't respond. Sarah thumped his shoulders, annoyed that he was ignoring her.

"Jareth," she said, still whispering. "Wake up." Again, no response.

"Jareth?" she asked, terror started rising up within her. When he still refused to respond, she grabbed his shoulders and began to gently shake him.

"Jareth?" Her voice becoming higher pitched and harsh.

If it weren't for the shallow rising of his chest, she would have believed that he was dead. Sarah decided to not be gentle any more. With tears rolling down her cheeks, Sarah began aggressively shaking him.

"Jareth!" she yelled. "Jareth!"

Without warning, the door to her chambers burst open with Lochlan standing in the threshold.

"Sarah, stop!" Lochlan yelled as he rushed over to Sarah and pried her off his brother.

"Let me go!" she cried, trying to thrash herself free yet failing.

"You need to calm down," he grumbled, exhaustion evident in his voice. As soon as Sarah ceased her movements, High Seer Finnean came running into the room. He immediately noticed Sarah.

"Has he awakened yet?" Finnean asked Lochlan as he quickly made his way to Jareth's side.

"No," he sighed. "Seems not."

Finnean walked over to Sarah who was still being held in place by Lochlan. While Lochlan being dressed in all black was normal, she thought it odd to the High Seer in all black as well.

"How are you feeling, Your Highness?" he asked as he further opened her eyelid peering inside.

"Fine," Sarah snapped as she attempted to pull away. "When did you become an optometrist?"

"A what?" he asked.

"Why are you messing with my eyes?" Sarah asked. Lochlan released her and grabbed a robe hanging from a chair.

"How are you feeling?" Finnean asked, ignoring her question.

"Um," Sarah said taking brief stock of her body. "Fine. My legs feel a little wobbly, I guess."

"We should take this outside," Lochlan said tersely as he placed the robe over her shoulders.

"What happened to him?" Sarah asked as she allowed herself to be lead out of her chambers.

The trio appeared in the dining hall. Lochlan pulled out a chair for Sarah to sit in.

"Is anyone going to tell me anything?" Sarah asked. Lochlan sat across from her, but Finnean declined to sit.

"We don't know," Lochlan answered as he rubbed his eyes.

Sarah at first couldn't decipher if his actions were due to frustration or exhaustion. When he lifted his head to look at her, Sarah got her answer his eyes looked strained and red with shadows underneath. Sarah had never seen a fae look so drained. She thought it never could happen, but the fae king across from her proved her wrong.

"How long have I been out?" Sarah asked.

"A little over a fortnight," Finnean answered.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked Lochlan. He let out a snort.

"A little over a fortnight," Lochlan said.

Sarah was dumbfounded. "You need to get some sleep."

"Someone needed to keep watch while you two were out," he explained.

"And you couldn't have changed shifts with someone else?"

"I didn't trust anyone else," he answered.

"You just left Jareth behind in that room," Sarah said. Lochlan gave a small smile.

"I needed a break," he said. "Also, it's nice to see you walking again."

A servant rushed through the door and placed a bowl of food in front of her.

Sarah looked into the bowl of what resembled watery oatmeal.

"Gross," she said in disgust.

"Eat," he ordered and began pacing. "You haven't eaten in a while, and you'll need your strength."

"Does it have to be gruel?" Sarah complained.

"You haven't eaten in two weeks," Lochlan pointed out. "Don't want to upset your stomach."

Sarah timidly grabbed the spoon and brought the food to her mouth. Not only did it look like watery oatmeal, it tasted like that as well.

"Everything may not be clear right now," Finnean said. "However, I need you to remember how you felt before you passed out."

Sarah laid down her spoon and thought for a few minutes.

"It's was hot," she explained. "Not just the air around me but also inside of me. I can't really describe it."

"I heard you were in pain," the High Seer said. "Was it a tremendous amount of pain?"

"Uh, yeah," Sarah dead panned. "It hurt a lot."

"You kept grabbing your side," Lochlan interjected. "Did the heat start there?"

"No, that was from being stabbed with a sword," she answer sarcastically.

Lochlan and Finnean exchanged glances.

"Avitus never mentioned a stabbing," Lochlan sneered.

"To be fair, he wasn't in the best shape when we first found him," Finnean said. "He possibly forgot."

"Avitus? Is he okay?" Sarah asked in earnest.

"He'll be fine," Lochlan assured her. "He took a beating and still needs rest."

Finnean gave a small bow and said, "I must go back to the library. I don't know if my suggestions helped, but I'll try to figure this out." And with that, he left.

"Why did he leave?" she asked. "What is he talking about?" Lochlan faced the dining hall doors, not fully facing her, and released a heavy sigh as he hung his head.

"You were right," Lochlan said as he turned to her. "You were dying. Outside of you and inside of you, your magic was lashing out."

"Then how am I here?" she asked. "And Jareth… he might not be awake, but he's alive."

"We don't know for certain. The best Finnean could hypothesize was due to your bond with my brother, whether he knew it or not, was able to ground you enough and absorb some of your magic so that it no longer would kill you or him apparently." Lochlan breathed in deeply as he began pacing again. "Sounds like bullshit to me. And we may never know what happened. That's what he's trying to figure out. Jareth coming back is still not guaranteed."

"But I came back," Sarah said hopefully.

"And where did you go?" Lochlan asked. Sarah opened her mouth to answer but closed it just as fast.

"Was it the Fade?" Lochlan asked.

"No," she answered.

"Did you meet the Fates?" he questioned.

"The Fates are actually real?" Sarah countered.

"Some believe in them; some don't," he explained. "I would say meeting them would be concrete proof."

"Huh. Interesting," she mused.

"Were you aware of your surroundings the entire time?" Lochlan asked again.

"No, I mean, not until I opened my eyes," Sarah corrected. "I remember Jareth grabbing me in the middle of the field, and then nothing until I woke up."

"And that is why we haven't been certain either of you would wake up again," Lochlan said. "Wherever you went, whatever stasis your body was in, it's never been experienced by fae before."

"How do you know?"

"When we finally got you two back here, we opened your eyelids to see if you were just sleeping or passed out," Lochlan explained. "Yours were glowing red and his were black. I'm sure they still are. If you were dead or just asleep, the magic would not be that active in your body, and your eyes would convert back to their normal color."

"Why didn't you want me touching him?" Sarah asked.

"Another one of Finnean's theories," Lochlan said with a shrug. "Just in case it's a physical issue. He believes the less we moved your bodies, the better. Again, we have nothing. Might as well go with whatever nonsense the seer is saying."

Lochlan finally sat down, succumbing to fatigue. Silence stretch between them as Sarah moved her food around with her spoon but not eating it.

"How much do you hate me?" Sarah finally asked. Her mouth didn't want to ask the question, but she had to know. She'd wondered ever since they arrived in the dining hall.

Lochlan looked at Sarah, confused.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

Sarah dropped her spoon and combed her fingers through her hair.

"If I just stayed at Morlake…"

"The last person who should be upset over not following Jareth's orders should be me," Lochlan lightly chuckled.

"I'm being serious," Sarah said, unamused.

"So am I," Lochlan sighed as he quickly ran his hand through his long hair. It was completely down, which Sarah had never seen before. Flowing locks worked for him. "Listen to me. Should you have stayed at that tavern? Possibly. Maybe. Nevertheless, there is one thing I know for sure: there was nothing I or anyone else could have done to stop him from getting to you. He made his choice. I have no reason to fault you for that."

"Wow. Who would have pinned you for the introspective type," Sarah said with a small smile.

"I am capable of not being brash," Lochlan scoffed. "Sometimes. Two weeks with nothing but my thoughts undoubtedly helped."

"Well, it looks good on you," Sarah said. "I mean that figuratively. Right now, you look like hell."

Lochlan snorted. "I'm sure I've looked better," he admitted. "Still, I mean what I said. I don't hate you; I'm not angry with you. However, I can tell that you don't believe me."

"It just seems unlikely. I know you're not one to make others feel better just for the sake of their feelings, but…" Sarah said, looking away. "This is all my fault."

"Yes," he concurred. "Yes, it is." Sarah brought her hands up to her face and groaned.

"I'm not saying that's a bad thing," Lochlan corrected.

"How could you…"

"Do you know how often Jareth and I saw each other before you came back?" Lochlan asked.

Sarah was slightly stunned by his question.

"Um, once a year?" she answered.

"Double that number," he said. "And then multiply it by fifty."

"You two only spoke once every hundred years," Sarah said, flabbergasted. "That's insane."

"I never said we spoke," Lochlan corrected.

"What? Did you two just glare at each other until it was time for dinner?" Sarah asked.

Lochlan let out a hearty laugh. "Something like that," he admitted.

"I don't get it," she said. "He's upset that you left to go with your uncle. Could you two not just hug it out or something? I know hugging isn't your thing or his, but I mean..."

Lochlan gawked at Sarah as though she was insane. "Is that all he told you? I think I should be touched that he told you just that much."

"There's more?" she asked. Lochlan inhaled deeply.

"I left to join our uncle in the war," he explained. "That is true. But there was more, and I admit that I was a proper bastard. He never forgave me. Even though I wish he would, I don't really blame him."

"Did you steal his girlfriend?" Sarah joked.

"Jareth never had a _girlfriend_ ," he said, not understanding her sarcasm. His lack of sleep clearly has taken its toll.

"Yeah, I know. Never mind," Sarah said. "What happened?"

Lochlan placed his elbow on the table and lifted his pinky in the air causing Sarah to laugh.

"Are you wanting me to pinky swear?" she asked.

"I heard it's the most sacred of all promises Aboveground," he said with a smile. "If he makes it, don't let him know you know what I'm about to tell you."

Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"The two of us are not the most open of fae," Lochlan explained. "He probably didn't want to tell you this, and he has his reasons. However, this is my story as well, and I believe you should know."

After a minute or so of contemplation, Sarah linked her pinky finger to his.

"I told our mother that I would fight alongside Cian," Lochlan said as he brought his hand back to the chair. "I never told her that I intended to stay, but I did. She was crushed. Jareth spent years sending me various letters and correspondents: first, so that I would return, and then to merely visit. But I refused. I was so young and thoughtless. My hatred for the Seelies had inadvertently caused me to distance myself from my family. I refused to see the practical reasons why mother did what she did. But at the time, I didn't care."

"When's the last time you saw her after you left?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I didn't," he said. "I left at thirteen, and I never went back. Toward the end, Jareth sent nearly daily correspondents and messengers to notify me that mother was ready to leave, yet I ignored them."

"The burial?"

"Our uncle went; I didn't," Lochlan admitted. "I couldn't bear to be there. To see her like that. Even to see Jareth after ignoring his pleas. I just couldn't. I heard back from Cian that he entombed mother with our father. I should have been there."

"That's kinda shitty," she added.

"That a nice way of putting it," Lochlan chuckled. "I did go back, nearly two weeks later for Jareth's coronation. He was not pleased to see me, to say the least."

"Did he have you kicked out in the middle of it?" Sarah asked.

"No, he managed to not see me during the actual ceremony," Lochlan answered. "I should have considered myself lucky and left."

"I'm guessing he was not happy to see you?"

"During the reception, Jareth saw me from across the room, marched over to me, and knocked my ass on the ground," Lochlan said. "He laid into me for a good minute. No one was willing to come between the two of us, except for Cian. Jareth then banished us from the castle, from the kingdom, actually."

"But you previously said that you went back every century," Sarah said, confused.

"He always threatened but never followed through," Lochlan shrugged. "Except for the occasional punches and knife throwing."

"You were overly confident, you know, to keep going back," she said.

"Do you know the age difference between us?" Lochlan asked. Sarah shook her head.

"Only four years," he answered. "Our closeness in age is unique among faes."

"Is that somehow to explain for your bravado?"

"Not our age differences, but our road in life did," he clarified. "Jareth took the throne at eighty-seven; he was too young for such a burden. I believe that explains his irritable disposition. But he did what he had to do, and he's done well."

"How old were you when you took over the Unseelie throne?" Sarah asked.

Lochlan looked up in thought and scratched his chin. "Ah, Jareth is better at numbers than I am," he said. "I was around one thousand four hundred and sixty years old, give or take a few years. I should remember these things better."

"You're joking, right?" Sarah asked, astonished. "He was running a kingdom for over a thousand years and you were just… what? Drinking?"

"That sounds about right," he chuckled. "Also cavorting and lying about. Cian had no plan to give up the throne since he was feeling well and all that. And I enjoyed all the advantages of being second in line with little expectation placed upon me."

"Holy crap. No wonder he was pissed," she said, laughing as Lochlan joined in.

"To be fair," he amended. "When you are in charge of a band of ruthless, insane misfits, there's not much ruling to be done: occasionally balancing a budget, ensuring no one is trying to eat a village. Minor things."

"Well, I still think that after a millennium or two, you should have apologized and he should have accepted," Sarah said. "But how should I know. I have no idea how to solve millennia brotherly fights."

"But pride gets in the way," Lochlan said. "It's a powerful force, especially between the two of us. I believe as the years went on, his hatred of me just settled into annoyance, a bug buzzing around his head. Jareth allowed me to visit our parents' tomb. That's why I came around every century or so. Whenever I tried to engage him in conversation, he would act dismissive toward me or outright threatened, usually both now that I think about it."

"That's so heartbreaking," she said.

"And so, Sarah," Lochlan said as he stood up. "Even though it was done in the most imperfect way possible, you and your antics gave me my brother again."

"You should tell him this," Sarah said. "Once he wakes up. You know, stop being snarky for once. At least try anyway."

"Maybe I should," Lochlan stated. "You were right: we wasted so much time."

Suddenly, the dining hall doors slammed opened revealing Kalin.

"Holy shit!" she yelled as she rushed toward Sarah, giving her an all-encompassing hug. "Oh, you're alive! I couldn't believe it when I got word. How do you feel? Are you okay? Do you need a pillow or anything? What is this bullshit they're feeding you?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Sarah laughed, prying Kalin's hands off her shoulders. "I really do feel fine."

"Well, now that Queen Chatterbox has arrived, I'll be returning to my post," Lochlan said, making his way to the door.

"Lochlan, he'll be all right," Sarah said, not quite sure if she believed what she was saying. "You should get some sleep."

"If only I could," he said before walking out of the room.

"He's been guarding that door ever since we brought you two here," Kalin explained. "I'm surprised he actually came down here with you."

"Did Taggert… Is he okay?" Sarah asked, afraid of the answer she may receive.

"Yeah," Kalin said, giving her a reassuring smile. "The Court… it isn't in turmoil like I thought it would be, but we've all been busy lately."

Kalin stood up and made her way over to the seat that Lochlan previously occupied. It was then that Sarah noticed her clothing. Her dressing in black was one thing, but the heavy black robe she wore over it was completely out of character.

"Why are you dressed in black?" Sarah asked. She then realized that everyone she encountered was wearing black, even the servants.

"We're in mourning," Kalin said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Over the war dead?" Sarah asked. "Doesn't that only last about seven days? I thought I was out for two weeks. Ugh, I should remember this, but I can't."

"The funerals all took place last week," Kalin explained. "But we're not wearing black for them. We're wearing it for you and Jareth. Some people even covered themselves in ashes. Those people are intense."

"What?"

"Have you not looked outside?" Kalin asked. She shook her head causing Kalin to get up and make her way over to Sarah. "Ah! Of course not. They just brought you down here to serve you nasty food."

Kalin grabbed her and transported them both to the Amber room. It felt like ages since the last time she was here. Kalin yanked back the curtains. On any normal night, Sarah would look out and just see the darkness of the town surrounding the palace. Some houses still had lights in the windows, but for the most part, the scene was usually dark and shadowy. Yet, when she pulled the curtains, what greeted Sarah were flickering lights as far as she could see.

"What the?"

"I know. It's been like this since the troops returned," Kalin explained. "Still, people light candles and leave them at the Palace walls. Some also leave flowers. But every home, every night, two candles are set out in the windows. It's quite touching, really."

"I can't believe this," Sarah whispered. "This is astonishing. Did someone make them do this?"

"I don't think so," Kalin said. "I think once word spread of what happened… Annwyn was the first city to start this, and then it spread across the entire Court."

"I can't believe it," Sarah said shaking her head. " _Jareth_ wouldn't believe this."

"They're all just waiting for you two to wake up. Now, we just have to wait for one more," Kalin said quietly.

* * *

"Is there a reason why I'm still here?" Jareth complained.

"Quiet!" yelled a voice.

"Yeah, quiet! We're busy over here!" yelled the second more straggly sounding voice.

"Oh, dear. You two are so full of yourself," sighed the third voice. "He does have a valid question. Jareth's been kept here too long."

When Jareth woke up, he realized immediately that something wasn't right. First, he was in his regular clothes: white shirt, grey trousers, and black boots. Second, he'd never seen a room this white, although he wasn't quite sure this was a room. Upon his awakening, Jareth heard the three women arguing and immediately wished he was till unconscious.

An old crone, youngest young woman, and a matronly looking woman stood before him.

"I'm trying to think, and everyone needs to just shut up and stand still!" ordered the youngest. "Why did you bring him here anyway?"

"Because this is important, and you both need to realize what you're doing."

"Argh! We don't have time for this!" yelled the old hag. She reached out with her scissors but the youngest quickly moved the spindle out of the way.

"Don't do that! I'm still thinking!"

"Could one of you at least pretend as though I'm actually here?" Jareth asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh yes! My apologies. My name is Lachesis," she said. "The young one is Clotho and the insufferable hag is Atropos."

"The Fates?" Jareth wondered aloud. "Of all the things I could have dreamed up, it had to be this."

"You're not dreaming, idiot!" Atropos spat.

"Stop yelling!" Clotho shrieked. Lachesis dropped her head in her hands.

"Is there a point to this incessant yapping?" Jareth asked, frustration lacing his words.

"We are having a very important conversation," Clotho said. "And you're not supposed to be here."

"There needs to be no discussion," Atropos said, scissors still in hand. "Give me the thread."

The frustration that was clouding Jareth's mind after waking up to three shrieking shrews quickly melted away when he finally realized what was happening.

"Wait," Jareth ordered. "Are you three psychopaths talking about killing me?"

"We are _not_ psychopaths," Lachesis clarified. "I will admit that we are borderline sociopaths. But it comes with the work we do."

"Give me the thread!" Atropos screamed.

"No! I need more time," Clotho said, snatching the thread away again.

"Whether this is real or a much screwed up dream," Jareth said. "Why is my life up for debate?"

"You're not supposed to be alive," Atropos spat. "You rolled the dice, and you lost!"

"I didn't roll any dice on him," Lachesis countered. "You're just assuming."

"Well, it's not my fault that you won't do your job!"

Jareth grabbed Lachesis by the arm. It was then that he realized how tall she was. Taller than him by a few inches, her white hair blended well with the severe paleness of her skin, just like her other compatriots.

"Tell me the meaning of this insanity, now," he commanded.

"I must say that very few people are brave enough to lay hands on a Fate," she said, impressed. "I brought you here. You were in limbo with Sarah. She was only there to give her body time to heal. She's already awake…"

"Sarah is alive?" Jareth interjected, grabbing the Fate by the shoulders.

"She was always going to be fine," she reassured him.

"I was just to assume this?" he accused as he took a step back from her.

"If you just would have followed your brother's orders," Clotho interrupted. "We wouldn't be having this problem." Jareth settled his contempt glare on the younger Fate.

"And I was supposed to do what instead?" he asked. "Watch her die without trying to save her?"

"All you did was to get yourself killed," Atropos said. "Like a fool."

"That's not true," Clotho said. "He absorbed and redirected the magic. She would be in limbo much longer without him. Also, he's not dead."

"You are not awake because we've been arguing about you since you arrived," Lachesis continued to explain. "Your corporal being is healed as well, but since Sarah is conscious, the fighting among us has only gotten worse. You're not supposed to be here, Jareth."

Jareth paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair.

"What do you mean 'she was always going to be fine'", he asked. "Was this some sort of game? I heard that the Fates don't meddle in the lives of those in the Underground."

"We don't; humans are more entertaining," Clotho said with a sly smile. Lachesis rolled her eyes but decided to ignore the crude comment.

"The only manipulation we have done was to keep you both from waking up," Lachesis answered. "Her magic killed her, but it also brought her back. Atropos cut the string, but it was immediately mended."

"But you," Atropos said while pointing her shears at him. "We haven't tried to cut yours…yet."

"I've been fighting for your life, Jareth," Lachesis explained. "Atropos wants to cut the string, and Clotho is just confused."

"I'm not confused!" Clotho objected. "Umm… maybe a little."

"She has the power to make major decisions and whether your thread continues to spin," Lachesis said. "I thought bringing you out of limbo would help her make a decision, preferably the one that keeps you alive."

"You're going through all this trouble," Atropos complained "For what? He's just a fae."

"This is Sarah's bonded mate," Lachesis stated.

"Eh, she'll find another one," Atropos shrugged. "How many more noble fae are there? We don't need to worry about her."

Jareth stopped his pacing and began marching toward the old woman, but Lachesis grabbed him, stopping his advancement.

"No," Lachesis said, dragging the belligerent king backward. "That's not a good idea."

"You worthless hag!" he cried out. "Send me back!"

"They are bonded," Clotho quietly mused. "I never thought of it that way. And she's also lost her parents. She has no practical ruling experience. Sarah will need his help."

"Oh please," Atropos said, ignoring Jareth's outburst. "She's befriended two in the Court, and they can help her."

Jareth wrestled himself from Lachesis grasp and straightened his clothes, attempting to calm himself down.

"I'm sure your loathsome disposition makes you the life of any party," Jareth sneered. "But, I'm tired of being at this one."

"I'm not quite sure he even wants to go back," Atropos said. "All he's doing is yelling at us."

"And you would rather me beg?" he queried.

"I'm always partial to begging," Atropos said with a smile, exposing her decaying teeth.

"I will ask. I will demand. I will politely request," Jareth uttered. "But, the only soul I will ever implore is the one you are keeping me from. So no, I will not beg, especially to you, you miserable cow."

* * *

Sarah, dressed in a black gown, stood in front of two large slabs. On top of the stones, two bodies were wrapped in shroud.

"You don't need to do this now," Lochlan said, leaning against the wall of the crypt.

"It's been almost a month since they passed," Sarah said, trying to remain stoic. "They need to be put to rest."

For the past three weeks, Oberon and Titania's bodies have remained in the crypt beneath the Palace, guarded all day and night by sentries.

"What's your plan?" Lochlan asked. "I doubt they would want to be buried together."

"I want my mother to be buried among the gerberas," she said. "Those were her favorites. I want _him_ burned on a pyre. That way no one can desecrate or honor his grave."

"You give him more honor than he deserves," he said as he walked to stand next to her.

"I know, but I'm not just going to let him rot in a ditch," Sarah said, still looking at the shrouded bodies. "Even now, I can't do it."

"If you'd like, I can fulfill that request for you," Lochlan said causing Sarah to snort.

"I'm sure you would love to do that for me, but I must decline," Sarah said as she turned to leave the crypt. "Thanks for the offer though."

"You're spending more time away from guarding Jareth," Sarah said as they climbed the stairs out of the crypt. Lochlan stopped on one of the stairs, causing Sarah to stop as well. He let out a strangled sigh and bowed his head.

"It's been three weeks," Lochlan said quietly. "And nothing has changed. I'm not giving up on him. However, if I think about it too much… I can't stay there and wait any longer." Sarah then reached over and gave him a hug.

"Ugh," Lochlan said with mock disgust. "I've received more hugs in the last few weeks to last me a lifetime."

"Just keep that façade up," she said with a smile. "I'm sure others believe it."

The past week since Sarah woke up has been surprisingly calm for her. Sarah knew that everyone was gradually presenting her with things, especially since most of her days were spent with Finnean conducting odd physicals on her. If he checked her reflexes one more time, she might just fire the elf. Getting hit in the knees every day was excruciatingly annoying.

"I have some work I need to attend to, but I'll return tomorrow," Lochlan said when they made their way to the Palace hallways.

"Yeah, I know," Sarah said. Lochlan then transformed into his osprey form and flew out the nearest window.

A day hadn't gone by that Lochlan didn't come to the Palace. She never knew what responsibilities he had to address, maybe he just needed to get away, but regardless, he returned every day.

As Sarah made her way back to her chambers, she passed various Palace workers, all dressed in black, a reminder of who was not with her. The entire Court was still lighting candles every night. But now, only one per household. At night, she tried not to look outside, the grand gesture always bringing her to tears. The other kings of the Court have requested audiences with her, all wanting to apologize and offer condolences. Yet, she temporarily declined all of their requests. Now wasn't the time according to her. Sarah would speak to them all in time.

When Sarah arrived at her chamber doors, she was greeted by a somber looking Muiriol.

"Would you like me to bring you your dinner?" she asked.

"You're not my governess anymore," Sarah said with a small smile. "You don't have to bring me my food anymore."

"Yes, but if I don't, you'd just sit in this room, forgettin' ta eat, until Finnean ask for you again," Muiriol said. "Will be takin' your meal here or somewhere else?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Here, please," she answered.

For the past week, Sarah had always taken her meals there. Yet, she assumed Muiriol asked because that's what she always used to do. Muiriol left as Sarah walked into her chambers. Every day she hoped to walk in and see Jareth sitting up, wondering where he was. But, just as every other time, she walked in to see him lying in her bed, unmoved, just as before. Sarah walked over and got into the bed next to Jareth. She placed her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat and feeling the rising of his chest.

"You should wake up now," she said, sniffling.

No answer from Jareth, which unfortunately Sarah had gotten used to: speaking to him yet hearing nothing in response.

"You've been sleeping too long, and now, it's bordering on laziness." Sarah reached her arm around him, trying to bring him closer.

"I can't do this without you. Everyone is now talking about how it's past time for my coronation, and how I need to set up a royal household or whatever. Lochlan is helping, but he has less patience than you. And you're supposed to be here helping me, not him. Mistress of the Robes? What is that? Who even wants that job?" she yelled in frustration. Sarah finally relented and began sobbing against his chest. She had to refrain from such outburst all week, but now she couldn't hold back. Her crying gradually began to cease, but she didn't move.

"I don't want to lose you," Sarah mumbled.

Slowly, a hand came up a gently raked through her hair.

"How you turn my world, you precious thing."


	27. Chapter 27

_As long as there's fire_  
_As long as there's me_  
_As long as there's you_

* * *

 

“How long has it been?” Jareth asked, pacing back and forth. He occasionally spared a glance to Clotho and Atropos, who were still arguing with each other.

“We don’t really deal with time here,” Lachesis answered.

“Then how long has it been for those where it does matter?” he asked again, this time tersely.

Lachesis shrugged. “About a week.”

“Enough of this,” Jareth muttered as he made his way to the bickering Fates.

“We’re not finished here,” Atropos said as she saw Jareth approach. “Go sit back down.”

“Yet I’m finished with you, all of you,” Jareth said.

Clotho rolled her eyes. “We still haven’t decided…”

“Cut the string now or let me go,” he demanded. “Either way, I refuse to let you drag this on any further.”

Lachesis walked behind him and placed her hand on his shoulders. “Jareth, give them more time…”

“I will do no such thing,” he said as he pulled himself away. “If it was just me, we could have this little party of ours until the next millennium. But you three keeping me here…”

Jareth’s hand worried his brow. Ever since he’s been here, Jareth has witness the foolishness that was the Fates. Lachesis refused to roll her dice that decided whether or not his thread should be cut, which led to this bitter fight. As much as Jareth wanted his thread to continue, he knew this couldn’t go on any further.

“I will not have you three keeping me here, only to worry those who aren’t here. I won’t allow you to keep Sarah waiting for whatever _fate_ you have for me. Throw the dice, Lachesis.”

“Jareth…”

“Oh, just do it!” Atropos yelled. “You’re the one who got us into this mess.”

Lachesis looked over at Clotho, who just shrugged and looked away.

“Don’t look at me,” she mumbled. “I still can’t choose.”

Lachesis reached over to her hip where there was a small pouch and pulled out a six sided dice.

“Once the dice is rolled, there’s no turning back,” she explained while looking over the cube. “We do what it says.”

“No matter what it says, it will be better than being here, listening to all of your barking,” Jareth said.

“Roll it. We can finally be rid of him,” Clotho muttered. “These things aren’t supposed to be this difficult.”

Lachesis reached out with her arm and tossed the dice. It dropped down and came to a quick stop. No one approached the cube except Lachesis. She bent down and pick up the dice, staring at its decision.

“What does it say?” Jareth asked in earnest. Lachesis walked over to stand before him; her facial expression betraying nothing.

She reached out to touch him on the forehead and said, “Vita.”

* * *

 

_Damn. Where’d that twit send me?_ Jareth thought as darkness surrounded him.

“Lochlan is helping… less patience…,” came a depressed sounding voice. The voice sounded far away and muddled, but he knew it had to be close because it seemed to be talking to him.

When the individual kept speaking, its voice became clearer and less confusing.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he felt her weight on his chest and realized that she was sobbing. If there was one thing he hated hearing, it was her crying. Jareth opened his eyes and immediately noticed that he was not in his castle.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Sarah mumbled to him, her head buried in his chest.

Jareth looked over at her and brought his right hand up to slowly rake through her hair.

“How you turn my world, you precious thing,” he whispered.

Sarah looked up at him, eyes wide yet bloodshot and tear stained. Jareth gave her a sly smile before he swiftly moved her to her back, straddling her waist.

“For what I went through, I should lock you in this room and ravish you until you can no longer move,” he muttered. “It’s been a long time, Princess.”

“I know. I didn’t know whether I’d hear your voice again,” she whispered. “I’m so…” Jareth nipped her bottom lip, ceasing her apology.

“What have I said about always saying you’re sorry? No more of that,” he said. “This entire time all I could think about was getting back to you, and not once did I care about hearing you apologize.” Jareth looked down between him. “I did however think of hearing other things come from you.”

“Pervert,” she sniffled, giving him a small smile.

“Indeed,” Jareth said before his lips descended on hers. His hand reached under her head and grasped her hair, holding her in place, while his other hand trailed up her dress, finding a resting place under her breast.

“Oh, how I missed you,” he mumbled in between planting kisses on her neck while Sarah caressed his naked back. Jareth lowered his body onto hers and began to slowly move against her, eliciting a small moan from Sarah’s throat.

“Wait,” Sarah said, yet doing nothing to stop him. “The others… I have to tell them that you’re alive.”

“I don’t really care about anyone else at this point in time,” Jareth whispered in her ear and then gave it a nip.

“AH!” Muiriol yelled as she dropped a tray of food on the ground. “The Fates be praised! You’re alive!”

Jareth and Sarah’s cavorting evidently concealed the sound of the small knock on the door. Sarah hid underneath Jareth, embarrassment overtaking her. Jareth stilled his actions as he turned his head toward the door.

“If you could never bring up the Fates again, I would much appreciate it,” Jareth said. “Also, leave.”

Stunned and wide eyed, Muiriol turned around and ran down the hallway yelling for the High Seer.

“I suggest that you seriously consider firing her,” Jareth said.

“I’m not firing her,” Sarah scoffed as she pushed him off of her. “Besides, there are a lot of people who have been waiting to see you.”

“I can understand why,” Jareth stated. “I am an excellent conversationalist and all around charismatic individual.”

“Oh, geez. Still thinking so highly of yourself,” Sarah said as she rolled her eyes at his comments. Sarah realized that it’s been a while since Jareth’s egoism showed itself. Nice to know that war and a near death experience didn’t crush his self-esteem.

“Would you have it any other way, Precious?” Jareth asked as he stood from her bed. He took a look around, taking in the space. “So, this is your bedchamber, hm?” he asked with a predatory grin. His question was met with a pillow to the face. “Bloody hell, woman!” he yelled.

The chamber doors opened revealing Finnean and Muiriol.

“Your Majesty, you’re alive,” Finnean said as he slowly walked toward Jareth. “I need to ask you some questions. Possibly run some test to figure out what happened to you two.”

“Yes, I’m alive. No, I’m not sick,” Jareth said dismissively. “You can leave now.”

“Jareth,” Sarah scolded as she left the bed. “This is important. We were both…”

“We were in limbo. Sarah woke up, and I was with the Fates,” Jareth answered brusquely. “And that’s all you need to know about that.”

“You met the Fates?” Sarah asked in astonishment. “They’re real?”

“And annoying as hell,” Jareth said. He then noticed the odd color scheme among the trio. “It’s been three weeks. Why are you all still in black?”

“How do you know how long it has been?” Finnean asked.

“Because of you,” Muiriol answered. “The entire Court ha’ been holdin’ a vigil.”

Jareth looked at the witch as though she was insane. “Say that again. Have you hit your head again or is this the adverse effects of working for my brother for so long?”

“No one is crazy, Jareth,” Sarah said as she sauntered over to him. She grasped his arm and transported them to the Amber room.

“When did you learn that?” he asked suspiciously. Sarah released his arm and backed away toward the curtains.

“Lochlan taught me. Trying to improve my magical abilities kept me sane while you were out,” she responded. “If it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure I was only able to do this from what you previously taught me. Lochlan’s not the best instructor.”

“It’s nice to know you two have bonded over my absence,” he murmured. Sarah noticed the change in his voice and turned to see his jaw locked and clenched fists.

“Don’t do that,” Sarah warned.

“Don’t do what exactly?”

“Whether you realize it or not, you actually put up with Lochlan over the past several weeks. You two got along well considering everything you two have been through,” Sarah explained. “Don’t go back to being bitter. You promised that you would work on your relationship with him.”

The tension in his jaw gradually left and his hands relaxed when he remembered the promise he made to her. Jareth sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.

“I can’t pretend that the past doesn’t exist,” Jareth admitted.

“I never said you had to,” she said. “But we all got a second chance here to change things. It would be stupid to act as though everything is the same.”

“Old habits are hard to destroy,” he said.

“Things are different now. A lot of deep-rooted traditions have died,” Sarah said as she opened the curtains.

“What is this?” Jareth whispered as he approached the window. He looked out to see the moonlight city shine with the lights of numerous candles.

“It’s for you, Jareth,” she said simmering with excitement. “Like Muiriol said, everyone is still holding a vigil for you. After we were brought here, the soldiers returned home telling everyone what happened. You saved their Princess, Goblin King, and they’re waiting for news that you’ve finally awaken.”

“No, this can’t be,” he said, backing away from the window. The most Jareth hoped for following a win against Oberon was that he would be able to be around Sarah without much kerfuffle from the masses that their future queen had latched herself to the Seelie Court outcast. But, this gesture, he never could imagined.

“It’s amazing how much things can turn around for a wicked half-breed,” said a voice behind him. Jareth smirked as he turned around to see his brother leaning against the threshold.

“And to see you walking these halls,” Jareth said, walking towards him. “Truly the guards are failing at their jobs.”Lochlan stood by the door, unmoving, unsure of his brother’s reaction to seeing him. Jareth reached out his hand causing Lochlan to look down. Lochlan reached out and grasped his hand. Jareth smiled as he pulled his brother to him in a large hug.

“Let’s be better toward each other, shall we?” Jareth mumbled in his ear. Lochlan reached around and embraced Jareth as well.

“I should have been there all those years ago,” Lochlan admitted. “But now you can’t get rid of me.” Jareth laughed as he backed away.

“Also, put a shirt on,” Lochlan chastised. “No one needs to see that.”

“Deny the world the utmost in fae male perfection?” Jareth asked. “No, I think everyone should consider themselves lucky to see me.”

“Great. Now, I have to deal with the two of you,” Sarah said as she approached the two of them. “Still better than fighting.” She summoned one of Jareth’s shirts and offered it to him. “Put this on.”

“Very good,” Jareth told her as he took the shirt.

“We can talk some more in the dining hall,” Sarah said. “I’m sure Jareth’s hungry. I know I sure am. Muiriol dropped my food.”

* * *

 

“What is this?” Jareth said in revulsion as he stared into his bowl.

“Bullshit in a bowl,” Lochlan said with a knowing smile.

Jareth looked at Sarah’s plate and then at Lochlan’s and wondered why he wasn’t eating the same type of food. “I’m not eating this.”

“Oh yeah, you are,” Sarah said. “I ate it when I first woke up, and now so do you.”

“When did I start taking orders from you?” Jareth asked.

“Since always,” Sarah said with a large smile. “Besides, it’s my palace. And I say you have to eat that watery paste. Just try to imagine it as something appealing.”

“If you try imagining that the gruel is appetizing,” Lochlan said. “You’ll realize that it actually taste like horse vomit.” Jareth let out a laugh as Sarah slapped Lochlan on the shoulder.

“Ugh. What am I going to do with you two?” she said.

“Obviously, you’ll send him away and then take me upstairs,” Jareth said, finally attempting to eat. Sarah rolled her eyes as she continued eating her food.

“So Sarah,” Jareth said. “How does it feel to be sitting at the head of the table?” She placed her fork on the plate and looked off to the side.

“I’m not a fan,” Sarah grumbled.

“I told her it was necessary to sit there. You must sit there,” Lochlan admitted. “It’s your palace, and that’s where you should be.”

“I told you that I’m not comfortable with all this yet,” she said.

“Why does it matter if you’re _comfortable_?” Lochlan asked. “You’re the next in line, and you should act like it.”

“Hey! Don’t discount my feelings,” Sarah countered back. “All of you guys had some sort of transition. I didn’t have that option.”

“Always so emotional,” Lochlan said, with a sideways glance. “Would you like your doll to comfort you?” Sarah created a crystal and threw it at him.

“Dammit, woman!” Lochlan responded.

Jareth shook his head at his previous flash of jealousy considering the only thing he has to worry about is Sarah giving his brother a black eye.

“Is this how the two of you have been behaving since waking up?” Jareth asked.

Lochlan crossed his arms over his chest and muttered, “Maybe.”

“Oh now, Lochlan, turn that frown upside down,” Sarah mocked as she leaned over to pinch his cheeks. “Only smiles in this room.”

Jareth looked at both of them and asked, “How is this place not reduced to rubble?”

“He takes his feelings and goes drinking at his own castle,” Sarah answered.

“Much more quiet there. Less harassment,” Lochlan added, which was met with a kick to his shins from Sarah. A knock on the door stop the ongoing shenanigans, taking them all off guard.

“Uh, enter,” Sarah called out.

“What did I say about being hesitant?” Lochlan asked.

“Oh shut up,” Sarah snapped. “You’re not the boss of me.” The door opened, revealing Avitus walking in with the aid of a cane. Jareth shot to his feet and hurried toward his advisor.

“Oh, Sire,” Avitus said. “I’m so happy you are okay.” Jareth held him by the shoulders, looking him over for any injuries.

“Forget about me,” Jareth said. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I’ll be fine. I just took a hell of a beating,” Avitus said. “I should be up to normal speed in about a week or two. No need to worry. Sarah has been keeping me busy.” Jareth turned back toward Sarah, giving her a disappointed glare.

“Why are you working him?” Jareth reprimanded.

“Me?” Sarah was surprised by his reaction. “He wouldn’t stop bothering me until I gave him something to do. I mean, not that I’m complaining. Avitus has helped me out a lot, but he wanted to do stuff.”

Jareth walked Avitus over to a chair next to him and told him to sit.

“Most people would consider an ailment as an excuse to not work,” Jareth said. “How did this happen anyway?”

Sarah and Avitus quickly exchanged looks before Sarah continued eating her food. This interaction did not go unnoticed by Jareth.

Jareth released a frustrated breathe. “Sarah, you almost cost me my most trusted advisor,” he said. “If he was gone, who else could I find to remind me that letters to my governors are supposed to be on linen paper?”

“I know you don’t believe me,” Avitus chuckled. “But those things are important.”

“From all that he’s told me about that stuff, it’s the one of the most important things since the beginning of everything,” Sarah scoffed.

Suddenly, loud trumpets rang out causing Sarah to jump in her chair.

“I knew that was happening, yet it still scared the shit out of me,” Sarah confessed.

“What the hell?” Jareth asked.

“Congratulations,” Lochlan said. “You’re about to be inundated with visitors.”

“What?”

“The imperial guards have been notified the subjects that you have finally awaken,” Avitus explained.

“I should have warned you,” Sarah said. “But no one warned me. So, it’s only fair.”

“I feel as though I woke up in another dimension,” Jareth admitted as he leaned back in his chair. “Like a fairytale, everything is unnervingly happily ever after.”

“Uh, no happily ever after here. Not yet anyway,” Sarah declared. “Everything isn’t perfect.”

“We discovered that practically everyone reviled Oberon, but not everyone,” Lochlan said. “There’s a few that support his narrow-minded views.”

“Oberon had some political prisoners in the jail here at the Palace,” Sarah continued. “And by political, I mean, people he didn’t care for: a few witches and those who harbored them, a couple of faes who just outright spoke out against him. We couldn’t even find a paper trail for these people. He just locked them away with no trial, and for no reason other than them disagreeing with him. So, we let them all go. Many of the families didn’t even know if they were still alive.”

“Damn,” Jareth muttered, his hands worrying his brow. “And some still side with this maniac?”

“Not many. Maybe a few hundred,” Sarah said. “We think they came from Annwn and the surrounding cities and villages. Oberon wasn’t really popular in the outlining citied.”

“No one in the other kingdoms cared about Oberon enough to continue his insane way of thinking,” Lochlan stated.

Sarah continued, “I was told that while we were still sleeping or whatever, the subjects…”

“Your subjects,” Jareth corrected. Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled.

“ _My_ subjects apparently turned on anyone who spoke out against you and in favor of Oberon’s craziness,” Sarah explained. “We’re trying to keep tabs on them. I still don’t know if having them out there forming their own little commune of hatred in the hillsides is a better than having them close by.”

“Oh please,” came a voice from the doorway. “Those loonies can go crazy in the wilderness until the day they die as long as they leave everyone else alone.” The group looked toward the door to see Kalin standing in the threshold. A second later, Taggert strolled up behind her.

“I heard you finally woke from your much deserved beauty sleep,” Taggert said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Although, it looks like you should have slept longer.”

“Take a seat, Centaur,” Jareth said with mock disdain.

“It’s about time you woke up,” Kalin said as she walked over to sit next to Lochlan. “Black is not my color. It was tiring always having to wear it.”

“I’m sorry that my near-death compromised your variety in fashion choices,” Jareth said.

“Apology accepted,” Kalin said with a smile. “Don’t worry. We’ll only be here for a little while.”

“And here we all are,” Taggert stated. “Who would have thought we would all be sitting around a table again?” He then gestured toward Lochlan. “I definitely would have thought that you would do something stupid enough to get yourself killed.”

“Wasn’t for lack of trying,” Lochlan confessed.

“Anything else I missed besides Pixie Queen’s lack of gown selections and some crazies in the country side?” Jareth asked. “What happened to the Elf Kingdom?”

“Queen Devona, Aiden’s wife, is the only family on the Elf court left,” Sarah said. “She claims she had no idea what her husband and son were planning. I have no reason not to believe her.”

“Are you serious?” Jareth asked.

“That’s exactly what I told her,” Lochlan said in agreement.

“Devona may be many things, but a scheming mastermind, she is not,” Taggert interjected. “She’s a little too vacant for that.”

“That fae only cares about her crystal collection and how high her hair can be styled,” Kalin added.

“She doesn’t even want to take the throne,” Sarah said. “Devona sent a request that I install a new ruler. She’s been shamed, and all she wants to do now is move to her family’s manor in Annwn. You two are allowing your paranoia to cloud your thinking.”

“If you think that situation is fine, then I’ll take your word for it,” Jareth acquiesced. “But the security of the place is not going to be as laughable as it was before.”

“There are already new guards stationed around the walls and in the watchtowers,” Sarah said. “Your brother is a distrustful as you.”

“She wouldn’t put a shield around the palace,” Lochlan said. “I gave up persuading her.”

“I already told you that I would consider it,” Sarah pointed out. “Listen, I have never even met anyone outside of the palace walls. The last thing I’m going to do is magically lock myself away from them.” That admission hit Jareth hard.

“Are you telling me that you have never met anyone who didn’t work in the palace?” Jareth asked. “Or the few nobles who visited?”

“I never left the Palace grounds until I was sent Above and then I ran away, Jareth,” she said. “I guess I never felt the need to point out that little piece of information.”

“Since His Majesty is awake,” Avitus said. “We can now schedule a tour of the kingdom and later the entire Court.”

“A tour?” Jareth asked.

“It seemed odd to me that I would be ruling over people that I’ve never encountered,” Sarah said. “Hopefully I can garner some sort of goodwill… or something.”

“Sarah, how many times do we have to remind you,” Taggert said. “That you’ve amassed enough goodwill to last the rest of your lifetime?”

“If you say so,” Sarah shrugged. “But I don’t want to just coast along on that sentiment.”

“By the way, when are you going to meet with the other rulers?” Kalin asked. “Rhys and Cillian are still requesting an audience as well as Prince Brennus. You can’t ignore them forever.”

“I know, I know,” Sarah said. “I can’t put it off any longer. I’ll send out a letter requesting to see them next week or something. The thought of talking to all of them makes me want to go lie down.”

“Speaking of which,” Jareth said as he stood up. He reached out his hand toward Sarah, which she took. “This day is overwhelming, to say the least. I wish to lie down as well. We will carry this reunion tomorrow.”

* * *

 

“What are you thinking about?” Sarah asked as she observed Jareth looking out the stained glass window in her chambers. The pair walked all the way back without a word from Jareth.

“Since Lochlan and I have been alive,” he said still looking out the distorted view. “There has been this cloud surrounding us. For years, I hoped for it to be gone. Now that it has disappeared, this new world… It’s something that I always wanted but could never imagine. It’s as though we are learning to walk again.”

“Yeah, but this is what we fought for,” Sarah said. “You’re just going to have to get used to it.”

“How long do you think we can shut ourselves in here without interruptions?” he asked as he walked over to Sarah.

“Uh, about a day,” she answered.

Jareth halted his steps. “What?”

“I’m moving the royal residence to the east wing. It’s actually been very therapeutic to decorate my office these last couple of days,” Sarah explained. “Mother left behind some papers in her bureau. She asked that their things in the western wing be destroyed. I decided to turn it into servant quarters. I thought I should allow anyone who works here to live here as well especially since Oberon didn’t like servants living in the Palace.”

Jareth walked over to Sarah and gently massaged her shoulders.

“Disrespecting him even when he’s dead? I approve,” Jareth chuckled.

“I didn’t intend to do that,” she said. “But I’ll admit that it is a nice side effect. Help me out of this dress.” Sarah turned her back to him and pointed to the various clasps that ran up her spine.

“I need to go back to my kingdom tomorrow,” Jareth said as he undid one of the clasps. “I’m sure the place hasn’t fallen apart. However, I need to head back.”

“It’s hasn’t,” Sarah said. “Although I was told a small fire broke out in the Goblin City when some of the goblins heard about the vigils begin held. They attempted to light some candles and accidently set a tavern on fire. But it was put out quickly. They just wanted to be involved. It’s the thought that counts.” Sarah couldn’t hold back and began laughing as she told Jareth the story.

“Bloody idiots,” Jareth sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Miss them?”

“Terribly,” he admitted as he turned her around. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Since there is security around the Palace, you can’t just fly in and out at your every whim,” Sarah said.

Jareth raised an eyebrow. “Really now?”

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “You will need to ask several guards, show them your passport, and then, you can actually get inside. But, only if I feel like it. If I have a headache, you can just wait outside or something.”

“You’re a horrible liar,” he said.

“I know,” Sarah said as she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy you’re back. I know I can handle everything. It’s just- I realize how busy you will be as well. I just wanted you by my side.”

“Always,” Jareth said. “Besides, someone needs to snatch you away so that you don’t turn into some pompous Court puppet. When are we going to have that Labyrinth rematch?”

Sarah looked up at him and gave him a devious smile. “In two weeks, you’re going down.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank all of you who read my little story. I really do appreciate it.  
> I said that because this is the last full chapter of this story. An [awesome and very important] epilogue will be posted tomorrow or the next day. However, I am thrilled to say that a sequel is planned. So, keep an eye out for it.  
> And thank you again! It's been a fun ride.


	28. Epilogue

_All the memories_ _  
How can we make it back there_

* * *

 

 “Jareth?” Sarah asked as she looked from her papers. “What are you doing here?”

“Is that the welcome I receive?” he asked incredulously. “I warm your bed at night and give you my body and this is the greeting I receive?” Sarah responded by throwing a ball of paper at him, which Jareth barely dodged.

“Wench,” he hissed. Sarah just laughed as he made his way into the room.

“You said you were going to be gone for the next week,” Sarah said. “It’s only been three days.”

Jareth left the day after he awoke to return to his kingdom and warned Sarah that he would be absent during the daytime. He only returned for dinner and stayed through the night. They have yet to find the time to discuss anything of real importance. But, at least his absence allowed her to throw herself into the remodeling of the east and western wings.

“Where’s Corcoran?” he asked. Sarah rolled her eyes.

“Cormac. For the final time, it’s Cormac,” she said. “And he’s running errands.” Either that elf could see into the future or he has amazing timing because he left Sarah’s office no more than five minutes ago.

“Thanks for sending him over by the way,” Sarah said. “He’s been very helpful.”

“Corbin’s too skittish with me, and there’s no reason for him to forever be the apprentice of Avitus,” Jareth explained. “Although, I’m a little upset that he is not here.”

“Are you here to torment him since he’s found a safe haven?” Sarah asked. “Or do you want to just stand there?” In response, Jareth produces a manila envelope and handed it to Sarah.

“What is this?” she asked as she held it in her hands, noticing the there was no print on the outside.

“I said that I would you away after the conflict was over,” Jareth said. "I keep my promises.

“What is it?” Sarah inquired.

“If you open it, you’ll find out,” he teased.

Sarah looked at him with slight trepidation as she opened the envelope. When she looked down, confusion hit her as she read the title of the document.

“A deed? From New York?” Sarah looked up at Jareth who said nothing, his straight face betraying nothing. As she continued to read, the document stated that Thomas Grant, grants to Jareth Koning property in New York State. Sarah’s mouth went dry.

“This address… It’s down the street from... from them.” She looked up at him with shock and wild anticipation in her eyes. “Did you buy that house?” A smile crept across Jareth’s lips as he gave a small nod. Sarah jumped to her feet and rounded her desk to stand in front of him.

“How? Wha… You don’t have ID or whatever else is needed to buy a house,” Sarah said. “I don’t even know how to buy a home, and I lived in that world.”

“Turns out a large amount of cash can get you far there,” he explained. "I expected the process to take longer but thankfully it didn't.

“But why?” she asked.

“The Williams will never remember who you were to them,” Jareth said. “But that doesn’t necessarily prevent you from having new memories.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” Sarah whispered as she hugged him around his waist. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She wiped the tears away and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Jareth called out.

“To the kitchens,” she called back without turning around.

* * *

 

“Tobias Robert Williams!” Karen yelled. “If you don’t walk away from that computer, I’ll throw it out the window.”

A moment later, the sandy haired boy ran down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“And stop running in the house,” she said. “Why must I keep repeating myself?”

“Because he loves the sound of your voice, honey,” Robert jested as he walked in behind Toby. “Everyone knows that young boys love the shrill sound of their mothers’ voice.”

Toby let out a small chuckle.

“Set the table,” Karen said as she gestured to the dining table, finding no humor in his jokes. “There are way too many boys in this house.”

A doorbell caught Karen off guard. She looked at Robert and asked, “Are you expecting someone?”

“No,” he answered. “The Freemans aren’t supposed to come over until tomorrow.”

Karen lowered the heat over the stove and placed the spoon down. The doorbell rang again.

“Just a minute,” she called out as she made her way to the door. She opened the door to see the young couple that she met a few weeks ago.

“Oh my goodness. It’s you!” she exclaimed. Karen was friendly when it came to her neighbors and she was always eager to meet new neighbors, yet she felt an odd fascination with the couple when they first approached her house. Actually the woman did; she had no real feelings about the man except that he had odd hair stylings. Karen just assumed it was a foreign thing.

“I haven’t seen you two in a while. I didn’t see that sale sign come down. I assumed you two decided against it. You’re Sarah, correct?”

“Yes!” Sarah answered, eagerly. “I mean, yes. I’m sorry. We were out of the country and then had some problems with the house and realtors. You know how it goes. Escrow…”

Sarah knew next to nothing about real estate. The only thing she remembers from Karen’s incessant need to watch home buying and renovating shows was that everyone seemed to have troubles with escrow.

“Oh, going through that can be the worst,” Karen said. “Many deals fall through because of that.”

“Well, now we’re here,” she said. “Here, I brought this as an apology. I sort of had a weird day when we last met.” Sarah held up a cake carrier.

“A cake? How sweet.” Karen laughed at her own joke. Jareth, who had been quiet until now, rolled his eyes at the older woman’s attempt at humor.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Join us for dinner,” Karen said as she gestured inside the house. Sarah and Jareth looked at each other. Neither one predicted this reaction.

“Oh no, we couldn’t,” Sarah said. “We didn’t mean to barge in on your dinner or anything…”

“Please come in,” she insisted. “I have a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs, and it will easily feed all five of us.”

Sarah looked at Jareth again. “I’ll never turn down food that is offered to me,” Jareth answered with a shrug.

Karen laughed as she took the cake from Sarah and walked into the house. “You’ll fit right in with the other two.”

Sarah didn’t know how she would feel when she walked into her old home, but when she was alone, making the cake, she told herself not to freak out. Jareth was right: she could become friends with the Williams even though she can’t have the same relationship she had with them before. Of course, she decided to not to dwell on the fact that Karen could eschew any potential relationship.

When they walked into the dining room, Robert and Toby were already seated: Robert at the head and Toby seated two seats down- just like they always were.

“Do you need any help?” Sarah asked.

“No. No, you two sit,” Karen said, shooing Sarah away from the stove. Robert stood up from his chair as Sarah and Jareth approached, extending his hand.

“Robert Williams,” he said as he shook her hand.

“Sarah,” she said, timidly. But she quickly dismissed her nerves. “I’m Sarah, and this is Jareth.”A peculiar feeling overcame Robert as he refused to look away from Sarah as she released her hand from his.

“Sarah?” he asked. “That’s a… a very lovely name.” He shook off the odd sensation as he reached for Jareth’s hand. “Jareth?Can’t say I’ve ever heard that name before.”

“It’s a family name,” he replied as he pulled out Sarah’s chair for her.

When Jareth took his seat next to her, she gave him a curious look and whispered, “You told me that your mother just liked the name?”

“She did,” Jareth whispered back. “But humans ask less questions when you simply say things run in the family. Also, theoretically, it is a family name.”

“Toby,” Karen said as she walked to the table carrying a large bowl. “Sarah here was nice enough to bring us dessert, a cake.” His interest was piqued with that piece of information.

“Cake?” Toby exclaimed. “You can bake? Mom’s a terrible baker.”

_I know_ , Sarah thought. She had her share of tasting undercooked cake batter from Karen’s fruitless attempts at making birthday cakes.

“Toby,” Robert chastised. “Be courteous in front of guests.” Karen sat down and placed the pasta spoon in the enormous bowl of pasta.

“What he lacks in manners, he makes for up in truth,” Karen said, shaking her head. “I once managed to burn the cake yet keep the middle runny. I still don’t know how I did that.”

“Voodoo magic,” Toby muttered as he reached for the pasta. Jareth smirked at the boy’s choice of words.

Karen gently slapped Toby’s hand as she took the pasta spoon from him.

“Guests first, you little heathen,” she said causing him to slump in his chair with a pout on his face. Sarah remembered how Karen did things and lifted up her plate to be served.

“So what kinda cake did you bring?” Toby asked.

“Devil’s Food cake,” Sarah answered as she put down her plate.

“No way!” he yelled. “That’s my favorite!”

“Inside voice,” Robert said.

“Hold on a second,” Toby said, ignoring his father’s scolding. “Did you use vanilla or chocolate icing? The lame bakery down the street puts vanilla icing on theirs.”

“Toby, you should just be grateful that someone brought you cake without caring what kind it is,” Karen said as she finished placing food on Jareth’s plate.

“Chocolate, of course,” Sarah said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Vanilla icing on chocolate cake is not real cake.”

“That’s what I always say!” he said, thrilled that someone finally understood his world view.

_Oh no_ , Sarah thought. _That is what he always says._

“Toby does always say that,” Robert chuckle, slightly amused.

Jareth cleared his throat and gave Sarah a warning look.

“It’s just common sense, really,” Sarah said, trying to recover. “I mean, why go through all that work and then top it with vanilla. I think that bakery is the real outlier here.”

“So, Sarah. Jareth,” Karen began. “Have you two completely moved in yet?”

“Not completely,” Jareth answered. “We still have business in the _old country_. We continue to go back and forth.”

“Oh! That sounds exciting and strenuous,” she said. “What do you two do?”

“Karen, Europeans don’t like to talk about their occupations,” Robert cautioned.

“We prefer not to,” Jareth said. “But our field is personnel management and public relations.”

“I’m so sorry,” Karen said. “That’s always the go to question here. Anyway, moving on.”

Sarah internally breathed a sigh of relief. Jareth planned to answer the standard questions that would cover their true identities, yet she had been worried that they wouldn’t believe it. Robert was partial to strawberry shortcakes. She needed to make him one as a sign of thanks.

“Um, what do you do around here for fun?” Sarah asked. “You know, cause we’re new to the area.” Jareth shook his head ruefully, trying to suppress the small smile forming on his lips. He knew one thing Sarah could never be, and that was a spy.

“Do you like museums?” Karen asked enthusiastically. “There’s a great one now far from here.”

“That place sucks,” Toby said. “They put a white cardboard on the wall and call it art.”

An annoyed look crossed Karen’s face. “It’s modern art, dear,” she tersely said without looking at him. “You’ll appreciate it when you are older.”

* * *

 

“Thank you so much for the dessert,” Robert said opened the front door for Jareth and Sarah.

“That was the best cake ever,” Toby said. “You’ll bring some more over, right?”

“Ignore him,” Karen said. “If you keep feeding him, he’ll never leave you alone. Or maybe you should keep baking.”

“It was no big deal. Really,” Sarah said.

“Thank you for such amazing hospitality,” Jareth said as he made his way down the steps.

“He’s a quiet one, isn’t he?” Karen said in hushed tones.

“Jareth has his moments,” Sarah chuckled. "He's just anxious to get back. We're, uh, flying back tomorrow. Life's really busy right now."

“Well come by any time,” she said as she enveloped Sarah in a giant huge, catching them both off guard. Karen immediately pulled back. She was cordial to her neighbors, but she normally kept her distance.

“I apologize,” she quickly said. “I normally don’t do that. I do understand personal boundaries, I swear.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about,” Sarah assured her. “Have a good night.”

Karen closed the door and her still mortified face met Robert’s confused one.

“What was that all about?” he asked.

“I didn’t mean too,” she answered frantically. “I couldn’t help it. Sarah’s presence is so familiar. I felt like hugging her as soon as I saw her.”

Robert rubbed his face in frustration. “I know, I know,” he said. “I did too. However, I’m sure Jareth would cut my arm off. He seems protective of her.”

“Hopefully, I didn’t scare her off,” Karen sighed.

Around the corner, Toby overheard his parents’ conversation, confirming his feelings towards this Sarah as well. Although, unlike his parents, Toby felt like he knew Sarah _and_ Jareth. All of this was too odd for him.

Without warning, Karen and Robert heard the loud thumping of their son running up the stairs and into the library.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The End!*
> 
> Thanks again for reading... now, I'm going to finish outlining the sequel


	29. Sequel Update

 

* * *

FYI:

The sequel to this story will be up later today (at the latest, tomorrow), titled "Up the Hill Backwards". So, look out for it!

And, thank you for still going along this ride with me. It should be fun.


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